SCP: Tides of Bonds
by Coral the Leviathan
Summary: Sequel to SCP: Soaring the Sky. After returning to the Blue Sea, the Straw Hats sailed on to the next island. But trouble seems to find them fast, as a person from Robin's past appears. And with him came more trouble, in more ways than one. Will the Straw Hats save Robin from her dark past? Is Xion ever going to control the forbidden power within her? Merry can't be fixed!
1. Back on the Blue Sea

**Hello again, everybody! Yes, we are back with another volume of the Second Chance as a Pirate series! I had told myself that I should wait until I get another one of my stories done, but considering that some of you people have been asking about this volume, I decided "you know what? Screw it! I'm going to do it!" That... and I actually wanted to this volume anyway. You guys just encouraged me to do it. So, that being said, by the time this chapter is up, I am going to give you guys another day to vote on that poll. The very poll that decides which arc this volume should sail towards. This is the progress so far:**

 **G8 Arc = 3 votes**

 **Long Ring Long Island Arc (3 games) = 2 votes**

 **Water 7 Arc = 2 votes**

 **Remember! One extra day! Then the poll will close!**

 **... Actually, since I'll be away for a week on that day, it won't be fair... One extra week! Then the poll will close, the title of this story will change to a more permanent title, and this story will sail to the arc you readers have chosen!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and Allen. Well, actually I kind of do own him.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 _ **Let's fly to the sky**  
(The sun rises as Merry sails across the ocean)_  
 _ **There's not a single cloud in the sky  
** (All the current Straw Hats watched the sun rises, Luffy on the figurehead)_

 _ **Let's fly to the sky. (It's time to fly around) Catch the perfect breeze for you  
** (The camera faces the sky as the title appears on the screen) **  
Paint the sky with (Let's go to the wonder world) imagination that no one's ever seen  
** (Camera faces back to the Going Merry as everyone went on with their peaceful business)_

 _ **OH! OH! Even if it's too dazzling (Come on)  
** (Xion looked up and saw Marines ahead of them and warned everyone) **  
OH! OH! under the sun**_  
 _(They all prepared themselves for battle. Marines fired cannon balls at them) **  
OH! OH! If it's you, you can make it! Throw away your pride and FLY!  
** (Luffy, Zoro and Sanji sent the cannons back at them. Usopp fired a cannon of their own with Xion, in her Wisdom Form, unleashed Triple Firaga at them, followed by a Thundaga, clearing their path)_

 _ **Everyday is plain!** **  
Real talent makes the world go round**_  
 _(Going Merry sailed through the smoke. Everyone looked content as they enjoyed the sea breeze) **  
Deceit won't work anymore.  
** (Scene changed to Jaya in Mock Town, as camera faced each of the Blackbeard Pirates.) **  
Mayday, the red light is stopping you too  
** (Scene changed to Cricket's home, showing Cricket with Masira and Shojo side by side.)_

 _ **Lend me an ear! And I'm gonna stick on my RAP! Wussup!  
** (Guthrie fights against some pirates and Heartless. One tried to sneak up on him and Chirithy knocked it away.)_  
 _ **"From tomorrow on I'll get serious!"- seriously cut it out with excuses like that  
** (Allen danced as he dodged the attacks of the pirates and attacked them at the same time)_  
 _ **Increase your money with your dream! Time is money like NASDAQ!  
** (The Straw Hats looked at Cricket's gold and searched for the South Bird) **  
When will you do it boy? It's now or never man! This is the moment, right?  
** (The crew then arrived at the Knock Up Stream and went to the skies.)_

 _ **Everybody put ya hands in the air and clap ya hands like this like that**_  
 _ **Clap ya hands everybody! Everybody just clap ya hands!  
** (Scenes quickly changed to different scenes. Xion and Guthrie crossed blades, Luffy's one-hit KO on Bellamy, the group trying to catch the South Bird, then finally their first encounter with the Shandia Warriors)_

 _ **Let's fly to the sky (It's time to fly around) Catch the perfect breeze for you  
** (The Straw Hat Pirates arrived on Skypiea and were approached by the White Berets and fought them) **  
Paint the sky with (Let's go to the wonder world) imagination that no one's ever seen  
** (Scene changed to the group in the Upper Yard fighting against Heartless, Shandians and Priests)_

 _ **OH! OH! Even if it's too dazzling (Come on)  
** (Scene changed to Xion fighting against Larxene) **  
OH! OH! under the sun  
** (Changed to Guthrie and Allen teaming up against the Nobodies)_ _ **  
OH! OH! If it's you, you can make it! Throw away your pride and FLY!  
** (Changed to Luffy battling Eneru. In a flash of light, opening ends with all of Straw Hats on Merry, facing the camera)_

* * *

 _People say that what's impossible can never be possible. While in most cases, that would be true, in the Grand Line, those are just words. And the people who believe in them, specifically pirates? They should never be._

 _In the Grand Line, the impossible is, and always will be, possible. Examples would be having a rubber body, changing into a certain animal, growing body parts out of places, even having the occasional crazy weathers, if one was not prepared enough to avoid them. As if that wouldn't be enough, there are also islands in the sky._

 _One certain crew in which we all have our eyes on had ventured to one of these sky islands and conquered a god. In the process, they helped reclaim the sky people's freedom and claimed some gold for themselves. Returning to the blue sea with some new allies, what sort of troubling adventure awaits for them now?_

* * *

While they were slowly falling back to the Blue Sea with the takoballoon's help, majority of the crew were in the kitchen, all cheering for the amount of gold that they 'stole' from Upper Yard. Zoro was asleep on deck, Robin was watching their descent from the island, and Guthrie and Chirithy were helping Allen into their Blue Sea clothes. After all, it would look weird to people seeing a half-naked guy on their island.

"You Blue Sea people have such strange yet comfy clothing," the dancer said, trying to put on a shirt.

"Not so sure about the 'strange' part, but we don't wear any tribal clothes in the Blue Sea. It may take a while for you to get used to," Guthrie said.

Allen managed to get his head and arms through the holes they were suppose to go through, but he couldn't bring the shirt down. And for a good reason, too. "You think you guys have clothes with holes in the back?"

Guthrie placed a finger under his chin in a thinking pose. An idea came to Chirithy's head as he, somehow, snapped whatever fingers he had. "I've an idea!"

Next thing the guys knew, Allen stood there in a brown baggy shorts and a green, open-chested vest. On the back of the chest, holes were made for his wings to go through.

"This'll have to do for now," Chirithy said.

"Nice idea!" Guthrie commented.

"And I don't feel uncomfortable in these, either. I like this style," Allen said.

"What say we show the others then?"

"Right!" The two walked out the men's quarters to head to the kitchen where everyone else are.

As they made their way to their destination, standing by the door with an unamused look on her face was Xion.

"What got you looking so sour?" Guthrie asked.

"So to say, Luffy and the majority of the other guys bickering over little guys stuff. Well, some of the stuff like books for Chopper-kun and a lockable fridge are actually good and reasonable to have, especially considering our captain for the latter," she answered.

The trio sweat dropped at those words.

"He does have a big appetite," Allen said.

"That, itself, is an understatement," Chirithy told him.

Xion looked at their direction and, upon seeing Allen's new look, had a light blush on her face. "Y-You look good in that," she managed to say to him.

"Oh! You think so?!" he asked. "I have Guthrie and Chirithy to thank. Most of the clothes on this ship can't really fit me. Especially with my wings on my back."

"Well, Nami did say something about splitting the gold evenly between us. When we reach an inhabited island, we should buy some more clothes for you."

"Now that you mentioned it," Robin called, getting the outside group's attention. "I wonder where this ship is heading."

The three humans and one Dream Eater processed those words in their head.

"... AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Xion's scream got the attention of the other Straw Hat crew in the kitchen.

"What?! What?!" Usopp asked.

"What's the matter?" Luffy calmly asked.

"What is it, Xion-swan~?" Sanji followed.

Turning to Nami, the vice captain asked, "Nami! How's the log pose?!"

"Huh? The log pose? It's..." Nami trailed off as she looked down at their 'compass'. Her face paled as she realized the reason for Xion's scream. "Oh no! We started riding on an air current at some point and now we're drifting!"

"An air current?" Usopp repeated in a questioned tone.

"Come to think of it, there is a wind," Sanji pointed out.

"Is that a problem?" Luffy asked.

"Yes it's a problem!" Guthrie answered. "We won't know where on sea we'll land! For one thing, we might land in the middle of a marines headquarters and be captured right then and there! Not only that, but we can't control the ship when it's just floating like this!"

"Why can't we have Xion use her magic or call her flying Dream Eaters to drag us then?"

"For one thing, my arms just recovered and I got a doctor's note saying that I should prevent myself from doing anything that can put a strain on them for a while," the female Keyblade wielder answered. "And also, do you really expect my Dream Eaters to keep dragging this ship and fighting off the air current during the whole trip until we reached the sea? We all have limits, Luffy!"

"Then we'll just head to the next island once we've reached the sea."

Everyone all sweat dropped at the carefree answer.

"Sure... if we haven't been taken far off course that is..." Chirithy said.

"Are we going to be okay?" Allen asked in a whispered tone to Guthrie.

"To speak to truth, I don't know myself," he answered.

"Although..." Everyone turned to Sanji's direction, who was looking at their octopus with an odd expression.

"What is it, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"Nah. Might be my imagination."

His response confused them. "About what?" Usopp asked.

"No. It's nothing."

"There's a problem! Hey!" The group jumped slightly and turned to Zoro's direction. The swordsman was still at his spot on deck, with a tired look. "Oh, it's just a dream," he said with a yawn.

Those words angered Nami and Sanji, the former who was being held back by Usopp. "What's with you?! You scared me!" Nami shouted.

"I'm gonna cut you into fillets, you damn moss head!" Sanji exclaimed.

Xion would also be angry at the false alarm, but she had no energy whatsoever to care about it at the moment.

"Now, now, Zoro's tired too, after the battle in the sky, so..." Usopp tried to reason, as Luffy just laughed at the scene before him.

* * *

Night had soon fallen. Some of the crew were getting some extra shut eyes after being rudely awaken by Luffy and his great plan to steal the gold earlier and wanted to catch up on some sleep. Everyone else were hanging out on deck, or in Sanji's case cooking up some snack, or in Allen's case, dancing in peace and secret at the back of Merry. As Guthrie and Chirithy looked over the edge, watching the clouds as they descended, they heard footsteps, and saw Robin approach them.

"You ever seen anything like this?" she asked the counselor.

"No. I like high places, but this is an incredible bit of scenery I have yet to have seen," he replied.

Robin leaned herself over the railing, watching the same scene as the two.

"So, did you come over here for a reason?" Chirithy asked her.

The archeologist looked to the male Keyblade wielder and answered, "I believe you told me that you would explain your backstory to me, didn't you?"

Guthrie looked up at the sky, recalling that he did say that after they defeated Yama.

"Yeah, I did," Guthrie answered. "Well, I guess I gotta tell you my history, then." He turned over and leaned his back on the ship's railing, with his hands supporting him. "I guess I should start by telling you my full name, then."

"Full name?" Robin echoed, realizing she didn't know his family name.

"My full name is Fennik Guthrie," the Keyblade wielder started. "My mom and dad told me that our family had some sort of affiliation with a fox, though I have no idea what they meant by that. My parents were still the greatest people ever. My dad was proud and strong, and always put his family first before anyone else. He was the one who taught me how to become a skilled swordsman. As for my mom, she was gentle and kind, and was the greatest wife and mother you could ever see. She was the one who told me stories about the Keyblade, the wielders, and about the tales of other worlds. They were fascinating as a kid, but as I grew up, and saw no proof of these tales, I began considering them fables. Guess they weren't lying to me now that I can wield a Keyblade." His smile vanished from his face as he thought about what happened next. "Then, when I was thirteen years old, and right on my birthday, no less, I woke up that morning, and they both vanished."

"They vanished?" Robin echoed in confusion. "What do you mean? Did... they die?"

"Not sure. I meant they just disappeared without a trace. They were no longer at the home anymore. The only thing they left that gave me any clue was a note, which said, 'We have to leave for a while. Some important things came up and we had to leave. When it is time, you will know what that is. For now, live with your aunt Sinopa.' That was the last time I had ever heard from them at all."

Robin looked a bit guilty at this as she said, "So your parents vanished without a trace since that day. That's so sad. I'm sorry."

"Oh, you're gonna be feeling more sorry for him soon," Chirithy told her, which was responded by a hush and a glare by Guthrie.

"Well, continuing from that, I left my home and moved to aunt Sinopa's place, which was over a bar that she and her husband owned. My aunt was always nice to me, but unlike my mom, her sister, she didn't marry a nice man. Uncle Lupis cared more about his bar and money than anything else, and when I was sent to their place, he immediately and forever thought of me as a waste of space. I did whatever I could to help, from cleaning the house, working in all parts of the bar, including making and serving drinks for people. However, it was never enough. He even beat me up just because he was angry at something or someone else."

"That's horrible!" Robin stated, shocked to hear of such an abusive man was the uncle of a caring young man like Guthrie.

"I did get angry, but I never vented out at him or my aunt. I just kept my feelings to myself. Fortunately, my aunt signed me up for kendo practice so I could vent my anger out in something physical. It did work out, and thanks to my teaching from my dad, I ended up the best in town. I even made it to the nationals and made it in third place when I was just fifteen."

As they passed through a cloud, Guthrie's face darkened as he continued, "But being in third place in the Nationals was considered an epic failure to my uncle. A couple days after the results became public, Lupis scolded me and physically abused me for being so useless, and it was worse than before. Sinopa tried to stop him, but he smacked her away too. He insulted my parents, shaming them and saying that they abandoned me because they didn't want to waste their life on me. That drove me over the edge. I fought back at him. I let my rage take control of me and I... I stabbed him with a kitchen knife when he was strangling me." His hands quivered at this memory. It was something he still feared.

Chirithy looked sadly at his partner, as did Robin. Sanji, who was on the upper level, Allen, who was on his way to the kitchen for something to drink, and Xion, who had just appeared from the women's dorm, had started listening in quietly, just like one other person on the ship.

"I ran away from home. I couldn't be in the same house with that man," Guthrie continued. "I was useless to stop him, but I held a grudge against him. Every time I slept, he appeared, scolding and abusing me. I always woke up in a full sweat. My anger towards him continued to grow, but I held it in as best as I could. I wandered around the country for the next year. Part of me wanted to find my parents so they could help me and my aunt from getting away from this man. The other part of me wanted to get stronger so that, when I returned, I could be the one who'll stop him. I could be the one who'll show him who was really useless around her. I was so filled with anger, I started to become not only crueler to others, but to myself. I wanted to vent this anger out as soon as possible. So, when I felt I couldn't take it anymore, I chose to return, now fully believing I could stop my uncle."

His hands quivered, and he began to form tears in his eyes. The memory of what he was about to explain hurt him the most. "When I returned home, I was fully set to challenge my uncle to a brawl. Aunt Sinopa was the first to meet me, and I demand that I confront him. However... I... I had no idea that... when I left, I..." He was having a hard time explain what he had done, but the others could figure it out. Something that Chirithy made sure was vocally confirmed.

"His aunt told him that when he stabbed him, it was on his lung," Chirithy explained. "The damage was too much, and he passed away soon after."

"So you killed your uncle without realizing it?" Robin asked, surprised. "No offense, but why weren't you arrested? Did your aunt hate you?"

"No..." Guthrie sobbed, wiping away the tears. "She... she loved me so much, that she lied. She told the authorities Lupis slipped and accidentally stabbed himself with his own knife. Even... even though my fingerprints were on the knife, she told them that all three of them used the knife because of our job. She apologized for not being able to stop him that day. She knew I never meant to kill. And all that rage, all that hatred towards the man that abused me... had nowhere to go. I never broke so many table and chairs than that evening. I never screamed so hard than that evening. Nor... nor did I cry as much as that evening."

There was a pause as Guthrie wiped away his tears, stifling his feelings of that evening. At this point, now everyone on the ship was listening in on his tale. All seemed to give Guthrie sympathetic looks. He was so hurt deep down, that it was amazing he hid it so well.

"Anyways, I slightly gave up on sword-practice. I instead turned to psychology and learned how to be a counselor for people. I wanted to cure people of the anger or despair in their hearts, but not through violence; through just talking. I helped out however I could at the bar, making sure it was running, along with taking care of my aunt Sinopa. The guilt of my anger was all the reason I pushed myself as hard. I wanted to redeem myself for the empty grudge I held, and for murdering a family member without meaning to. I wanted people to be happy, to be at ease in their heart, as that was the opposite of what I was feeling deep down. I wanted to make sure I was redeemed, a little at a time. Then, on my eighteenth birthday... well, you and Xion know what happened then."

"You awoke to the power of the Keyblade, and came to this world to seek out and protect Xion," Robin recalled.

"Yes... If it was a way to redeem for my past transgressions, then so be it. I'll come here, risk my life for someone I don't even know, and make sure she is happy."

With his story finished, he looked down at the ground, wondering what Robin would say. What could she say? She was pretty much surprised at his backstory. She knew from what she could piece together from before, that he had some involvement with his anger. However, she had no idea it was something like this. True, her story was much more painful, and it was certainly not a place of competition as to who's backstory was worse, but just like her, and so many of the crew members, he had undergone trials and pain in his past.

"If you want to find a way to redeem yourself, then move on," Xion spoke up. Both the counselor, his Dream Eater and the archeologist turned to see her approach them. "I'm not one to talk, since I'm still trying to remember things about myself, but I know you can't just dwell on the past. If you truly feel bad that you did what you did, then move on and make yourself better."

"Easy for you to say," Guthrie retorted. "I could only wish I could forget some of my past. I don't want to remind myself of the anger that was swelling inside me for all that time, for murdering someone in my family, for the guilt and pain of what I felt when I found out I really did kill someone."

"Except I do remember some things that are painful to remember," Xion pointed out, getting his attention. "The pain of saying goodbye. The feelings of abuse from the Organization. The fact that... I have no heart, and I am just a puppet. I... I want to forget those things. But they help me progress to being the person I am today."

"I get what you are getting at, but you are not a puppet, nor do you not have a heart, cause you do," Guthrie pointed out.

"And why do you think that?"

"Because you don't look like that. You seem just as normal as everyone else here. Well, I guess 'normal' isn't the right word, but you get what I mean."

"Well, I don't see you as a harsh, uncle-killing devil, so why would you judge yourself instead of listening to the people who are judging you? You are Guthrie, the Straw Hat's counselor. I think you are better than what you make yourself to be. Stop having the past hold you back, and push forward."

"Guthrie," Robin spoke up, getting his attention. "You said you wanted to find your 'True Happiness'. You also said you wanted to help me find the Rio Poneglyph. With a heart that seeks out hope and cares for even people like me can't be that bad."

"There are times when we have to deal with the most horrible of things without having much of a choice to. You didn't choose your relatives, nor did you really choose to be an unintentional killer," Allen pointed out, walking down to meet with the gang. "I may be the newest recruit, but I know for sure that every one of us here has something we want to forget. But, if it weren't for those, we wouldn't have come to this point."

"As he said. We all have pasts we're not proud of, and we also have done some things we regret doing," Zoro spoke, revealing to have heard the whole story himself rather than sleeping in like they all thought he did. "But the best thing about those pasts is that they make you stronger, and made you who you are today."

"That's a pretty smart thing to say, especially from you, moss-head," Sanji sassed.

"Shut up, you damn cook!" the swordsman barked, standing up and glaring at him.

As the two got into another usual argument, which made Xion sigh at their behavior, then looked to Guthrie as she pointed out, "With crazy misfits like us all, we need someone who can clearly ease the tension. That's where you come in, Guthrie. Make sure you keep the insanity to a minimum."

Guthrie looked down, understanding what everyone saying was right. Everyone here had pasts that were harsh, the most mysterious of which was Robin's. However, he knew that he wasn't alone. These people found ways to smile and have fun as time went on. Maybe this crew will help him truly move on and make him overcome the guilt in his heart.

"Hey guys! Come on up here! This is so fun!" came Luffy's voice. Everyone looked around in confusion, for the boy was not amongst them.

"Luffy?" Allen asked.

"Where'd his voice come from?" Guthrie questioned.

"It sounds kind of far, doesn't it?" Chirithy noted.

"Luffy! Where are you?! Luffy!" Xion called out.

At her call, the crew members who were sleeping all woke up and walked/climbed out of their quarters.

"What are you shouting for?" Usopp asked.

"What did Luffy do this time?" Nami quickly assumed.

"I'm over here! Everyone, come up here, too! This is fun!" their captain shouted.

Everyone looked up, past the takoballoon and saw Luffy bouncing on top of it.

"Whoa! He's up there!" Usopp gasped in shock.

"Awesome! This is awesome!" Luffy shouted happily.

For some reason, watching their captain doing this was making Xion feel uneasy. It wasn't about how he was bouncing away up there... Okay maybe it was that, but there was something about his actions that were making her feel uneasy.

"Hey! Don't be reckless! Our lives depend on that balloon!" Nami called out to him, increasing Xion's worries.

"Don't worry! Don't worry!" the boy shrugged off.

Allen saw the expression Xion was making and said, "You seem uneasy. What's wrong, Xion?"

"Why do I not like him bouncing on our balloon?" the girl asked back.

"What? You want to have fun up there too?" Usopp asked.

"I doubt that's the case," Chirithy answered in her place.

Sanji, who was staring intently at the one thing slowing their descent, paled when he noticed something wrong about their octopus. "No, Luffy! Come back down! Hey Luffy! Stop it!" he shouted in a panicked tone, grabbing everyone's attention.

"What's the matter all of a sudden, Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"The octopus is shrinking! If we don't do anything, we'll fall!" Sanji explained, climbing up the White Sea creature to get their captain to stop. His explanation got the crew on guard and worried.

"Now that he mentioned it, it looks smaller than before," Robin calmly noticed.

"What do we do?! We're still pretty high up!" Nami informed.

"Can the octopus still last long enough for us to reach the sea?!" Allen asked.

"If Sanji can get Luffy down in time, maybe!" Xion answered.

Next thing they knew, the pair in question suddenly fell, much to their, especially Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Chirithy's, shock. Luckily, Luffy thought fast and used his devil fruit powers to grab onto Sanji and Merry's rails, saving them from certain death.

The idiot captain laughed as he was hanging. "That was quite a scare, since it stopped bouncing suddenly," he said.

"Like I said, the octopus is shrinking!" Sanji told him.

Everyone else sighed in relief, mainly the four scaredy cats of the crew, as their descent hadn't changed in the slightest. Until the very next second that is, when they all started to float themselves and felt their descent speed up.

"O-Oh? I didn't do anything, but we're back to the ship!" Luffy said, as he and Sanji were both at eye level with everyone else.

"That's because we're falling!" Guthrie told him.

"AAHHHH! We're falling! We're falling!" Usopp panicked.

"This is bad! At this rate, we'll be swallowed up by the sea!" Nami warned.

"There's no guarantee that we'll fall into the sea!" Robin corrected.

"Xion! Do something!" Luffy told their vice, as he and Sanji got back to the ship.

"I'm not a miracle worker here!" Xion shouted.

Chopper, crying tears of fear, noticed Usopp taking something out from his pouch. "What are you doing, Usopp?!" he asked.

"What else?! Protecting this ship!" the sniper answered, equipping himself with his Usopp Aa-aa-aa and octopus shoes. He got to the rails and paled at how fast they were getting closer to the sea.

"What are you going to do?!" Nami asked.

"Don't be reckless, Usopp!" Allen told him.

The guy steeled up his nerves and placed the hook on the rails. "Okay! **Usopp Aa-aa-aa**!" Next they knew, the guy pushed himself off the ship. Once he was at his rope's limit, he suddenly swung down to underneath Merry.

Seconds later, they left their fall suddenly slow down again. Not as slow as it was at first, but still enough that they wouldn't die.

"It slowed down..." Nami gasped in surprise.

"Oh wow!" Luffy said in amazement.

"Were we saved?" Chopper asked.

"Seems that way," Robin answered.

"Ha ha ha! Did you see my wonderful work?!" Usopp boasted.

"Usopp, you're so cool!" Chopper cried out.

"Not bad, Usopp!" Chirithy followed.

Luffy let out another laugh. "I wondered what was going to happen for a moment there!"

"That was too close for comfort," Guthrie agreed.

"Yeah, seriously. I thought that was it," Nami said.

But of course, life just had to be so cruel to these poor souls. It was not even a second when Nami said that... that the octopus suddenly shrunk, much to their horror.

"But why?!" Xion questioned.

The crew all screamed once more, as they continued their fall. Even Merry was screaming, as Luffy managed to get Usopp back on deck.

"Everyone! Grab onto something and hold tight!" he then ordered.

They all did just that until eventually... they hit the sea.


	2. The Threat of the Greatest Power

**By god how much I hate life! Okay, guys, I saw the pair of Kingdom Hearts 3 trailers. I love them, except the part where they made us think Xion was going to make an appearance, but the thing is, I do not like... how they made me so anxious for the game that I want to play it! Sadly, I do not have a PS4. Why can't I get one? Because (1) my parents think it's a waste of money and (2) they do not understand the hype for these sort of things! And it does not help that there are rumors about a Kingdom Hearts VR coming out, which got me even more hyped and sad! UGH! And not only that, but the console is so expensive! Even if I were to go on my hands and knees, I highly doubt they would budge! UGH! They just had to put it in a console that I don't have! LIFE SUCKS!**

 **Ahem. Now other than that, as you may all also know, the poll is done. Results are in. We are instantly heading on over to Water 7, so I hope you all enjoy what comes in this arc!**

 **Oh! And with this reveal of the arc is a brand new opening! It is Hello Goodbye by Scenarioart. I tried to translate it as best as I could as there is, apparently, no English lyrics of the song.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Were we saved?" Chopper asked._

 _"Seems that way," Robin answered._

 _"Ha ha ha! Did you see my wonderful work?!" Usopp boasted._

 _"Usopp, you're so cool!" Chopper cried out._

 _"Not bad, Usopp!" Chirithy followed._

 _Luffy let out another laugh. "I wondered what was going to happen for a moment there!"_

 _"That was too close for comfort," Guthrie agreed._

 _"Yeah, seriously. I thought that was it," Nami said._

 _But of course, life just had to be so cruel to these poor souls. It was not even a second when Nami said that... that the octopus suddenly shrunk, much to their horror._

 _"But why?!" Xion questioned._

 _The crew all screamed once more, as they continued their fall. Even Merry was screaming, as Luffy managed to get Usopp back on deck._

 _"Everyone! Grab onto something and hold tight!" he then ordered._

 _They all did just that until eventually... they hit the sea._

* * *

The next day, after that horrifying fall, the Straw Hat crew continued sailing on to the next island. However, since they landed quite far from the island they were suppose to be heading towards, the group decided to take their chance and sail to wherever. ... Is what would have happened if the group was as stupid as their captain.

Thankfully, Xion had her flying and swimming Dream Eaters out and search around for the nearest island, as Going Merry had its sails up and remained where it was. As they waited for the Dream Eaters to return, everyone was doing their usual activities, with Guthrie and Xion training each other. Well, it was more of Xion training Guthrie at the moment in magic, as Xion was not to do anything that would strain her arms for a while, so Chopper had told her. Guthrie had on a white, short-sleeved shirt and tanned pants as he was training in his magic.

"I'm so bored..." Luffy complained. "Why can't we just set sail already?"

"And risk getting hit by a bad weather? No thanks Luffy," Nami told him, recalling when they first sailed to the first island in the Grand Line.

"Nami's right. That one time was bad enough and we barely survived that," Xion also recalled. Out of the clothes she wore in Sky Island, Xion now wore a white t-shirt with a short, black jacket over it, blue capri pants and white boots.

"As your captain, I demand we sail now!" Straw Hat exclaimed.

"As your vice-captain, I decline that order!" Starlight Blade retorted. "I'm not dying out there because you can't keep your excitement in! And I know for sure everyone else on this ship wants to live to see another day!"

Guthrie was also taking a sip of some water and wiped his face with a towel that Chirithy got for him. Said Dream Eater and Allen were both by his side, as the trio watched the captain and vice argue.

"Watching them bicker like this makes me wonder if joining was a bad idea," the male Keyblade wielder said.

"You reap what you sow," Chirithy quoted.

"I'm surprised Xion and this crew survived this long with a captain like him. Then again, after what happened in Skypiea, I shouldn't be surprised he's the captain," Allen said.

"Set sail!" Luffy shouted.

"No way!" Xion declined again.

Chirithy sensed something coming their way and looked over the rails to see Pegasus flying/trotting towards them.

"Xion! Pegasus is back!" he told the vice captain, ceasing the argument.

The vice captain waved her Pegaslick down to the ship, in which the Dream Eater safely landed on its hooves.

"How'd it go, Pegasus? Did you find an island nearby?" she asked. Pegasus neighed and nodded in response. "Okay. Think you can lead the way?" Another nod. "Then it's decided. Time to set sail!"

"Aye!" the rest of the crew cried out in response.

"Hey! That's my line!" Luffy complained.

* * *

Thanks to Pegasus, after Xion called back all her Dream Eaters, the crew had a somewhat smooth sailing to the next island. Why 'somewhat'? Well... There were some weathers to bypass and huge fish, mainly Sea Kings, to avoid. Yes, it seemed the crew had forgotten how harsh the Blue Sea would be and had a hard time getting through the dangers. Guthrie, Chirithy and Allen managed to keep up with their pace and got through all the obstacles.

"Was it always this crazy...?" a half-dead Chirithy asked, lying on deck with Usopp lying next to him.

"If you mean the weather in Grand Line, then yes..." the sniper of the crew answered. "I forgot how crazy the weather here is..."

"But it sure was a good workout," Allen said, wiping off some sweat or rain water from his face. "It's more tiring than dancing."

"Seeing you standing there smiling like we didn't just go through a set of storms... I'm envious of that stamina you have there..."

"Nami. How are things looking right now?" Xion asked their slightly exhausted navigator.

"The temperature and humidity have stabilized. We won't have to worry about any storms coming for a while," Nami answered.

"Well, that's some good news," Guthrie sighed in relief. "But... do we know where we're going now? After all that work getting out of those storms, we must've gotten lost by now."

Pegasus neighed out some things, in which only Chirithy understood.

"Pegasus said we're going the right way," he translated. Looking up at the crow's nest where Robin was, he called out, "How are things looking, Robin?!"

"I see no signs of danger anywhere around us," she reported.

"Which means we'll have a smooth sailing," Xion said in relief.

"I'm feeling hungry. Sanji! Food!" Luffy shouted.

"I hear you. It's time for lunch anyway," the guy said, heading to the kitchen to make some lunch.

"I'll help out," Guthrie said, following the blonde.

"You can cook?" Sanji asked.

"No. But I can make some drinks. My aunt and late-uncle run a bar, so I know how to make all sorts of drinks. And small snacks. In fact, my aunt said I was pretty good at making drinks that suit people's needs."

Sanji nodded, appreciating the additional help, as both walked in.

Once they were in, Guthrie took out his new counselor's diary on the table, opening it up to the latest reports on the crew. "Let's see... Chopper, Xion and Nami were all feeling pretty worn out, so something rejuvenating for them... Zoro just wants booze, so I'll give him the usual stuff... and for Robin... I already have an idea as to what to make her. Right, let's go check the supplies."

Guthrie walked away and went to the fridge, looking in to see the ingredients he had to work with, all the while, Sanji looked back at him, curious as to what he had in store.

* * *

Minutes later, Guthrie and Sanji came out of the kitchen, each of them bringing food and drinks to everyone.

"Lunch is ready, you guys," Sanji told Luffy, Chopper and Ussop, who were fishing at this moment. They all excitedly dropped their poles and raced to get their next meal.

"Here you go, Zoro," Guthrie handed the swordsman his mug of booze, who responded with a grunt of approval.

"As for you guys, I made some non-achoholic spritzers, just to keep you refreshed and ready," Guthrie handed Luffy, Ussop, Chirithy and Allen pale-green drinks.

They all had a sip, and their faces went content as they all said, "So good~!" Luffy and Usopp were a little- no, they were extremely content with the drink.

"As for the three of you, I made banana cocktails. The citrus flavors should help you overcome your exhaustion. Plus, despite the name, there's no alcohol." Guthrie gave Nami and Chopper their drinks, followed by Xion, who took it and sipped it.

"Whoa!" She gasped. "This is really great!"

"It's usually served as a dessert drink, but I figured it works well for when you are worn out," Guthrie stated, as Nami and Chopper also gave exclamations of enjoyment. He wandered down to where Robin was sitting in the deck chair, and placed a drink on the table next to her. "As for you, I made something that might satisfy you. Go on, take a sip. There's no alcohol in this, either."

Robin looked at the drink, picked it up and took a sip. She gave a sigh of content as she stated, "This is really nice. What is it?"

"A Cinderella," Guthrie explained. "A blend of orange, lemon and pineapple juice."

"Is that all? It's really well made," Robin complimented him, taking another sip of her drink. Guthrie bowed in response to her compliment, beaming just the same.

"I really hate that he get complimented by the ladies..." Sanji growled. He calmed himself as he then added, "But I have to admit, I taste-tested the drinks he made, and he's pretty good at it."

"Sometimes, being a good counselor also means you should understand what they need in their bellies in order to soothe their hearts," Guthrie pointed out. "Working at a bar helped me understand what kind of drinks would satisfy different people."

"Then I guess that makes you a counselor and a bartender," Nami stated, toasting him slightly. "Keep making drinks like this stuff, and you can definitely be a big deal to us."

"YEAH! WE WANT MORE!" Luffy, Ussop and Chopper exclaimed, raising empty glasses.

"Got it..." Guthrie muttered with a sweat dropped expression.

' _These guys are so childish,_ ' he then thought.

* * *

It didn't take much longer for them to see the island Pegasus found.

"Hey guys! I see the island!" Usopp called from the Crow's Nest.

Nami took a look at the island through a telescope. "Hmm... Looks like an uninhabited island," she said.

"Ready the anchor! We'll land on the island!" Luffy ordered.

"Aye!" the crew responded.

* * *

As soon as they landed, the first thing that came to mind was food. The reason? Luffy ate most of what Sanji had prepared for lunch. The crew were lucky to even have a few bites before all the food got devoured. As a result for his greed and stupidity, Xion had already delivered the proper 'judgement' for his action.

"Well then, go find some food stuffs," Sanji told them.

"Yeah!" some of the more childish of the crew replied.

"Listen. No rats or frogs, okay?" Nami said, specifically to one pirate, not wanting to have anything weird like back in Upper Yard.

"How self-centered you are. Once it's in your stomach it's all the same," Zoro said. Of course, that only resulted in him getting a few hits to the head by the navigator.

"True as that may be, there is the taste that's the problem," Chirithy pointed out.

"Guy must've lived in the wild to not mind about food," Guthrie could only assume.

* * *

After gathering up some food they found, which consisted of fish, shellfish, fruits, and vegetables, the group started to have a barbecue, with Xion reminding Luffy that the food is meant for everyone.

"Yummy!" Luffy exclaimed, eating through some skewers already.

"Hey, Luffy! Don't stuff your mouth like that!" Sanji scolded.

"You ate our lunch earlier. I can't believe you're still eating so much!" Usopp said.

"This still isn't enough!" Luffy told them.

"Seriously?!" Allen gasped. "Is that stomach a black hole or what?"

"Believe me, Allen, that's the question on everyone's mind," Xion said.

"With this amount of food, we're gonna run out quickly," Sanji said, looking at the amount of goods the group brought back.

"Robin. You should eat now or it'll all be gone," Chopper told the oldest member of the group.

"I'm almost done so-"

"No! If you're already reading, you'll become a worm! They call it a bookworm, right?!" Chopper scolded her.

"Wait, that's really a thing here?" Allen asked.

"Not really. That's not even what a bookworm is," Xion corrected. "Though my brother does have a point, Robin. You should eat before Luffy devours it all like he did with our lunch."

"This coming from our vice captain who isn't eating a skewer," Guthrie retorted. "I don't see you eating any."

"Now that he mentioned it, you didn't eat much of anything back on Sky Island either. Not even during the party," Chirithy added.

"Back when we used to hang out, you didn't eat much back then either," Allen also added in.

"I just don't eat much of anything, that's all," Xion said.

"Even so, you need your strength." Allen picked up a skewer that was just done and offered it to her. "Come on. Can't be a hypocrite in this crew, can you?"

For some reason, when he put it that way, Xion couldn't help but agree with him. She accepted the skewer and uttered out, "Yeah. Thank you." The girl then nibbled on the meat.

As she acted this way, both Nami and Usopp looked at each other and gave each other a sneaky grin.

"In any case, Sanji has a point that these aren't enough for us," Guthrie then added. "What say we go out and find some more food after this batch? We could use some more in the fridge, too."

Everyone agreed on the idea.

* * *

After that round of barbecue, the crew went out and collected some more goods. As they were gathering some more food, Usopp scooted over to Xion and whispered, "Nami and I have been noticing something weird about you lately. Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. I feel fine, at least," she answered. "Don't I look fine to you?"

"Well, you do now. But whenever you're around Allen, you have this... weird vibe around you."

The mention of their new recruit made her perk up and pause a bit. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know, like you're so happy around him."

"Well... He was my friend from my past. And he still is, as well as a new member of this crew," Xion said.

"Are you sure it's not something more?" Usopp asked.

Xion was getting a little suspicious with where he was going with this. "Like what?"

"Like, oh I don't know. Say... a little l-o-v-e~"

It took the vice captain a few seconds to process what his assumption was. The very idea of it then made her blush and gawk. "LIKE HELL THAT EVER IS!" she shouted a bit too loudly, causing some nearby birds to fly off.

Everyone looked at their direction, wondering what they were walking about.

"There is no way that is ever possible! You hear me?! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Xion questioned, shaking the poor sniper senseless.

"AHHHHHH! I-I hear you! Please let me go!"

Everyone sweat dropped, wondering what was going on with that group. Well, all but one that is.

' _I'm glad I didn't go up to her,_ ' Nami thought.

* * *

Minutes later, after managing to free Usopp from Xion's grasp and calming the girl down, the group continued deeper in the woods for more resources.

"By the way, Chopper. Were you able to find any kind of medical herbs?" Guthrie asked the doctor of the crew.

"Yeah. I collected most of them, but there may be even rarer ones on this island," Chopper said. "More importantly, something's been bugging me for a while."

"Like what?" Allen asked.

"Well, there's this weird groove traveling down this path." Looking down, everyone saw that the man-reindeer was right, as there was a line on the ground, separating the grass.

"Come to think of it, I wonder what it is," Usopp said. "It looks as if a bicycle passed by."

"Hey, hey. This is an uninhabitable island, right?" Sanji asked. "There can't be a trace of a bicycle when there's no one here."

"Yeah, that's true."

For some reason, though, Robin seemed to be in deep thought as she stared at the line. Xion noticed this look, but decided not to pry about it.

"Hey, we're almost through the jungle!" Luffy told them. Soon enough, they were out in the open plains. "We're suddenly out in a large open space."

"It's called a plain," Guthrie corrected.

Chopper noticed something and rushed over to it.

"Chopper-kun, where are you going?" Xion asked.

"Looks like he's getting something from that rock," Zoro answered.

Luffy let out a loud gasp. "Damn that Chopper! He must be trying to have that huge mushroom all to himself!"

"He is nothing like you!" the vice captain exclaimed, as the captain took off after him.

When Chopper made a turn to the rock, he was suddenly knocked down, as though he was either pushed or he bumped into something.

"What's wrong, Chopper?!" Luffy asked.

"Looks like something happened. Let's go!" Zoro said.

Everyone nodded and ran after the two.

When they caught up with their two members, they were surprised to see a tall man standing on the other side of the rock.

"What's with you guys?" he asked so casually.

"What's with you?!" Luffy retorted.

"Who is that huge guy?!" Usopp questioned.

"Who is he?" Nami followed.

The group then heard a gasp and a thud and turned to see Robin... with an unusual expression on her face and in an unusual state. They didn't think it was possible, but Robin fell to the ground in pure terror.

"Robin!" Luffy called.

"What's wrong, Robin-chan?!" Sanji asked.

"Robin!" Nami gasped out.

"Wh-Why are you frozen?!" Usopp questioned.

"Robin... is scared of him?" Xion asked.

"Oh-ho-ho. Now, now. Don't be so bloodthirsty, guys," the tall man told them. "It's not like I'm here on orders. Since it's a nice day, I took a stroll here."

"Orders? From what organization?" Zoro demanded, prepared to take out his sword.

"He's a marine. And he's one of the people known as the World Government's ultimate powerhouses," Robin managed to answer.

"He's a what?!" Guthrie asked.

"This guy?!" Luffy also gasped.

"Yes... An Admiral of the Navy Headquarters, Aokiji," Robin identified.

A smirk formed on the man, Aokiji's, face. "Oh, my, my. You've turned into a good-looking woman... Nico Robin."

"Hang on... An Admiral?! He's an Admiral?!" Xion asked, as she and a few others got their guard up, prepared to fight this potentially dangerous man before them if it meant protecting one of their own.

"What's an Admiral?" Allen asked Nami in a whispered tone.

As if hearing the question, Robin said, "There are only three officers in the Navy who hold the position of Admiral. Akainu, Aokiji, Kizaru... The only one above them is Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who reigns as the top official in the Navy. That man is one of the three men called the World Government's ultimate powerhouses."

"W-Why is someone like that here?!" Usopp asked with a stutter. "Why don't you go deal with big-time pirates with several-hundred-million-Berry bounties?! G-Go someplace else!"

Aokiji looked to the side and saw Nami standing near him. "Oh, my, my..."

"W-What?" the navigator asked.

"Here's another sexy lady with big bozangas! You free tonight?" Everyone was shocked at the statement and question. All but one.

"What's the big idea, you tall, lanky jerk?!" Sanji demanded.

"Pay attention, you jerk!" Usopp followed.

"Is he really a big shot here?" Allen asked Guthrie in a whisper.

"I can't really say for sure..." he answered.

' _Especially since I'm not from here,_ ' Guthrie mentally added.

"Hold on a sec, you guys, geez..." Aokiji spoke with his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Did you hear what I said? I said I just took a stroll, didn't I? Don't get so worked up. To start with, you guys are all... whatchamacallit... you know..."

No one knew where he was going with this conversation and waited for him to finish his sentence himself.

"... I forgot. Oh, well." Wait, what?!

"You don't make much sense!" Sanji and Usopp shouted.

"What the heck's with this guy?!" the long nose pirate questioned. "Robin! Aren't you mistaking him for someone else?! There's no way someone like him is a Navy Admiral!"

' _I'm not so sure if you should be judging a book by its cover here,_ ' Xion thought, as she glanced over to Luffy. The guy's an idiot himself, and yet he's their captain, and a very strong pirate.

"Should you really say that? I mean, Luffy here looks like the fool out of all of us, and yet he's probably the strongest out of all of us and our captain," Allen voiced out Xion's thoughts.

Everyone went silent at the point he made.

"He's right. Besides, my motto as a marine is 'total slovenly justice'," Aokiji said.

"That totally matches your appearance!" Usopp and Sanji shouted once more.

"In any case, well... Oh, excuse me for a sec." Next thing they knew, the guy lied down on the grass. "Standing made me tired."

"Then why were you sleeping standing up?!" Chirithy asked.

He took notice of the Dream Eater and said. "Oh, my, my... A walking, talking kitty."

Annoyed to be called a normal animal, the talking Dream Eater shouted, "I'm not a kitty cat; I'm a Dream Eater!"

"Anyway, to make the long story short, I have no intention of capturing you guys, so don't worry," Aokiji told them, ignoring Chirithy.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"I came to check the whereabouts of Nico Robin, who disappeared after the Alabasta incident, that's all. Just as I thought she's been with you guys."

"This guy sure is apathetic, isn't he?" Sanji said.

"His audacity shows he's a leader, in a manner of speaking," Usopp pointed out.

"I'm going to at least report this to Headquarters, though, as with another wanted person, the total bounty for you guys has now changed. 100 million... plus 60 million... plus 98 million... plus 79 million equals..." Aokiji tried to do the math in his head but... "I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it's not too shabby."

"Why don't you just calculate it?" Zoro asked.

' _The total is 337 million, isn't it?_ ' Guthrie thought. ' _I'd like to know exactly what he means by 'not too shabby'._ '

" **Gum Gum-** " Before Luffy could do anything he would regret or cause trouble for the crew or even both, Xion called upon her Keyblade and hit him in the head, knocking him down on the ground.

Xion's Keyblade was not Desert Nakama; it was an entirely different Keyblade. The guard was blue, while the handle was orange with pinkish shells on each end. The 'blade' part was a long beanstalk with a bell hanging from the top, acting as the 'teeth'. This Keyblade is her Fire of Shandora Keyblade.

"Idiot! Don't do something you'll regret!" she scolded. "Are you trying to get us all arrested?! He's one of strongest marines!"

"So what?! Then you're saying we're gonna hand over Robin without a fight?!" Luffy demanded, getting back on his feet and in another battle position. " **Gum Gum-!** "

Before he could attack again, this time it was Sanji, Usopp and Guthrie who stopped him from doing the stupid and held him back.

"Idiot! Listen to Xion-san!" Sanji scolded.

"Yeah! You'll get us killed!" Usopp told him.

"And besides, he just said he won't do anything to us! Don't give him a reason to a thing!" Guthrie added.

Unfortunately, Luffy wasn't having any of it. "I'll beat you up!"

Xion pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Oh for the love of-" She walked over to him and stood in between her captain and the admiral.

"Ah! Xion! Get out of the-"

" **Sleep.** " With that one word, the vice captain used one of her spells and put the ranting rubberboy to sleep.

"Well, that was easy enough," Chirithy stated.

Just then, the group heard footsteps. They all turned and saw many people in tatter clothing coming out of the woods.

"S-So you're a marine..." one of them spoke. "I wish you had told us sooner."

"Who are these people?" Nami asked in shock.

Some of these people collapsed on their hands and knees, worrying them.

"Hey, get a hold of yourselves," Sanji said.

"Then this isn't an uninhabitable island?" Usopp questioned.

"Well, they're probably the passengers who drifted here from a wrecked ship," Aokiji assumed. "About a month ago, there was a report that a passenger liner went missing in this area."

"That's horrible..." Xion said. "In any case, we have to get these people treated. And well fed from the looks of it... Chopper, Sanji."

"Right!" Chopper saluted, already knowing what to do.

"Yes, Xion-san~" Sanji followed, already knowing what the girl was going to say.

"I'll help out with the healing," Guthrie insisted.

* * *

It took some time, but Chopper and Guthrie managed to get everyone checked and healed up. Thankfully, the wounds on some injured weren't serious, so it wasn't anything that Guthrie couldn't heal. Xion would help out, but Chopper told her to leave the injured to them, especially when she was suppose to still be healing. For the Sleep magic earlier, it was just a small, simple spell, one that though would knock people out for a minute or so can keep Luffy occupied for approximately an hour. ... Possibly.

As for Sanji, he, Allen and Usopp managed to find some more food and brought some barbecuing equipment from the ship. Currently, the large group were having some skewers, especially the survivors. Whether they were unable to find food or weren't able to cook up such delicious meal, the Straw Hats didn't know, but the innocent people were all happily enjoying and savoring up the food. Oh, and Luffy woke up by the smell of cooked meat.

"You must've been really hungry," Allen said to a couple of kids.

"You don't have to wolf down the food. There's plenty more where that came from," Sanji told them.

"That's right! There's plenty more!" Oh. Luffy woke up by the smell of cooked meat and was stuffing some skewers in his mouth.

"Hey! Why are you eating?!" Chirithy questioned.

"But at any rate, even if this is an uninhabitable island, if you are so inclined, you can find food, you know. This is the problem with amateurs," Usopp said.

"Don't be rude to them, Usopp," Guthrie told the sniper.

"I'm surprised you survived after a shipwreck in the Grand Line," Nami stated, helping a girl drink up some fruit juice.

"We're the only ones who made it to this island," the guy from earlier said.

"Just what happened to you guys?" Xion asked.

"On our way back from a gourmet tour to the gourmet town, Pucci, our ship collided with a huge frog that was doing a front crawl and shattered into pieces."

Hearing the cause of their situation surprised the pirates.

"A frog was doing a front crawl?!" Nami questioned.

"Don't frogs normally do breaststroke?" Allen asked.

"Interesting! I wanna see it too!" Luffy excitedly said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Usopp asked, wondering if they were seeing things.

"It's true!" the survivor explaining their situation exclaimed.

"Sounds like Yokozuna," Aokiji piped in. The Straw Hats looked at him with confused looks on their faces.

"Then, after a great struggle, we were able to make it to this island. But yet, we lived on the verge of starvation for a month... We rejoiced when we saw someone was coming, but when we looked carefully, he was riding a bicycle on the sea."

That... sounded unbelievable to them, even in the Grand Line.

"Hey now... Under no circumstances can one ride a-"

"Oh. That was me," Aokiji interrupted Usopp, raising their confusion.

"And then, the next one that came was a pirate ship," the survivor ended.

"That must be us," Xion said.

"Then you guys are... whatchamacallit... you know... um... well..." Aokiji tried to say.

"Say it clearly! Clearly!" Usopp and Sanji told him.

Just then, it seemed that Luffy realized something important. "Oh, shoot! I totally forgot!" Next thing everyone knew, Sanji, Usopp and Guthrie once again had to hold their captain back from doing anything stupid. "Hey, you! Don't mess with us!"

"You see him just lying there! How can he possibly do anything to us?!" Xion shouted, not believing how slow and simple-minded Luffy was.

... Oh wait, she can believe it.

"Listen to your crew, will you?" Aokiji told Luffy. "Like I've been saying, I took a stroll."

"Oh, it was a stroll? Then don't go passing a place like this! Leave!" Luffy demanded.

"You don't make sense here."

"Luffy kind of has the upper hand here..." Nami stated in disbelief.

"I can't believe this conversation is really happening..." Xion said, giving up on arguing with the foolish boy.

"Well then, okay... I'm going back. But before that... You guys. Get ready to depart right away," Aokiji said to the stranded people. "Fortunately, there's an inhabitable island not so far from here. You best go there to get any additional treatment you need."

"Hey, you guys! You don't have to listen to him! He's a marine!" Luffy warned them.

... Hang up, wait. What?

"Is there a problem?" the shipwrecked guy asked.

Luffy couldn't believe how 'stupid' he was... Until he realized something. "Oh... That's right. It's fine, it's fine. That's right, it's fine. Normally, marines are your friends and we're the bad guys." Luffy then laughed at his own stupidity.

"This is not the time to laugh!" Usopp said, karate-chopping him on the head.

"Is he... Really this slow...?" Guthrie couldn't help but question.

"You have your work cut out for you, Mr. Counselor," Xion said, already feeling a headache coming on from their captain's idiocity.

"But still, it's good, right? The guy said he'll help them out," Allen said.

"But he doesn't have a ship, does he? How is he going to help them out?" Chirithy asked.

"I don't see any other ship on this island but ours," Chopper pointed out.

"Without a ship, and no Log Pose either, how are they going to get to that nearby island?" Usopp said.

"Well, we still have that spare I got from Logue Town. They can have it," Xion insisted.

"No need for that. They'll be fine," Aokiji said.

"Nothing you say sounds convincing, you know," Usopp told the admiral.

"... He can..." came Robin's voice, bringing all attention to her. "He can make it happen..."

To hear Robin, a pirate who seems to know Aokiji better than any of them, vouch for the man, everyone felt that they had to believe him.

* * *

Soon enough, they all found themselves on the edge of the island, with a cart filled with the stowaways' belongings. The Straw Hats gave away some food and water for them to last during their journey to the island Aokiji spoke of. As they helped them prepare for the departure, Luffy ended up getting along with the admiral.

"So what are you going to do?" Luffy asked. "Are you going to swim while pulling these guys and their stuff?"

"Not exactly," Aokiji answered, stepping towards the ocean. "Step back for a bit."

The guy placed his hand in the water. Everyone simply watched, curious to see what he would do to help the innocents go across the water. That was when a Sea King emerged from the sea.

"W-What the heck?!" Luffy gasped out.

"What is that?!" Allen asked.

"A Sea King!" Usopp answered. "And I bet that's the guardian of this area of the sea!"

While everyone else was frightened at the sight, Aokiji just stayed where he was, unfazed by the sudden appearance.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Run!" Xion called out.

"Look out! **Gum Gum-** " Luffy was prepared to save the admiral, with some of his crewmates joining in on the rescue, when the unthinkable happened.

" **Ice Age...** " At those two words, the sea king and a large part of the sea froze completely.

Everyone was speechless at what had just occurred.

"But... How did he...?" Guthrie gasped out.

"A Devil Fruit...!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Th-The sea... It froze!" Luffy said.

"This is the power of a Navy Headquarters' Admiral..." Robin told them.

Aokiji got his hand out of the frozen water. "This will probably last at least a week," he informed, walking to retrieve his jacket. "Take your time and head in that direction. You'll get to an inhabitable island in four days. It's a little cold, so dress warmly while you're walking."

"Is this... a dream...?" the shipwrecked person asked in disbelief. "The sea... has become ground. We can now cross the sea! We can get off this island! Mr. Marine! Thank you! This is a miracle! Without a doubt, a miracle!"

The Straw Hats were just as happy that the people can be off this island and head to civilization.

After the survivors got dressed in warm clothes, the Straw Hats saw them off happily, wishing them best of luck. As they left to the island, the people all said their farewells to them and even thanked them for what they had done for them.

It was starting to get cold for them to be on the ice any longer, and the crew all walked back to the island. Once they returned, for some reason, Aokiji had his eyes on Luffy and seemed to be in deep thought about him.

"What?" the straw hat wearing boy asked.

"How should I put it... You're just like your gramps, Monkey D. Luffy," the admiral said at last.

"W-What?" For some reason, he flinched when he heard that.

"You're free-spirited, or should I say you're hard to figure out?"

The rest of the crew looked on in confusion.

"Gramps? Luffy's?" Usopp asked. They turned to their captain and were surprised to see fear on his face. "Hey, what's the matter, Luffy? You're drenched in sweat."

"Well... N-N-Nothing. No... Well..." Luffy stuttered.

"Your gramps really helped me out a while back," Aokiji continued. "The reason I came here was to have a look at Nico Robin and you. ... On second thought... maybe you should die now, huh? The government is still taking you guys lightly, but if I delve into your history, I can tell that your group has a backbone. Although your group is small, since it's gathering shrewd members, it'll probably become a problem later on. The circumstances that initially led to your search orders, all the actions you took up until now, the speed of your group's progress... I've been dealing with outlaws for a long time, but it worries me to think how you'll turn out."

"Whoa! Wait a second! That's too sudden!" Usopp shouted in a panicked tone. "You said earlier you were just here to check things out!"

"The reason I especially regard you guys as dangerous is you, Nico Robin..."

Hearing that got Luffy mad. "So you're after Robin after all! I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!"

"And..." Luffy paused as Aokiji continued. "I also consider you as dangerous, 'Starlight Blade' Xion."

Those words surprised them even more.

"Me? In what way?" she asked.

"I believe the answer to that is obvious. After all, you have a huge target on your back... by _them_." When he emphasized on the 'them', the crew knew what he meant. There was only one group who was after Xion after all. "Both you and Nico Robin's bounties aren't just an indication of your strengths; It also indicates the level of danger you pose to the government. That is why Nico Robin has a bounty of 79 million belli on her head at the age of eight. I'm surprised you survived as a child. You betrayed people and ran away. You gained people's favor and used them. You survived in the underworld by being quick to switch sides. So this is the group that you chose as your next hideout, huh?"

Robin flinched at his words.

"Hey, you jerk! How insulting you are! What grudge do you hold against Robin-chan?!" Sanji demanded, prepared to fight this man.

"Stop it, Sanji!" Usopp told him, holding the chef back before he could do anything stupid.

"I don't have any grudge against her. If we are somehow connected, it's that I let her get away once. That's about it. Though it was a long time ago," Aokiji said. "As for you, Xion, if we were to give you an even higher bounty than what you have now, not only would it cause a panic to the world to have such a high starting bounty, but it would also indicate the fear the government have towards the organization looking for you, as well as lead to a misunderstanding that may indicate that we wouldn't give them what they want. Those are something they don't want. Instead, by steadily increasing the bounty on your head, it will show them the progress you have. After all, they did say they were looking for their perfect and most strongest member by your name and face."

' _Perfect and most strongest...? Xion is?_ ' Guthrie mentally questioned.

' _The only reason why he's saying this must mean..._ ' Chirithy thought.

"If I, my fellow admirals, and even the Fleet Admiral could, we would've just refuse, especially after they threatened to... What was it again... Cover this world in darkness. But unfortunately... They proved to be a group that we cannot outright refuse," Aokiji continued. The pirates were all shocked to hear how powerful Xion's pursuers really were. "Not only are you an apparent member of their group, you wield a weapon quite similar to the leader's and the higher ups of that group, and you defeated quite a few of their members already. You're far more dangerous than Robin. No... You're more dangerous than the previous Pirate King."

Every word coming out of his mouth was increasing Xion's surprise.

To the rest of the Straw Hats, he then said, "You guys will all eventually realize it, too. In the not-so-distant future, you'll regret that you took in a pair of troublesome women. As proof, the organizations Nico Robin had something to do with up until today all got annihilated, except for her. I wonder why, Nico Robin. And as for Xion, she took part in many missions by that organization... Many that included collecting 'hearts'. It makes me wonder... just how many did she kill and how many hearts she collected."

Robin flinched when he said that, while Xion unconsciously clenched her fist.

"Stop that, you jerk! Her past doesn't matter!" Luffy shouted.

"He's right! If you're worried about others' past, you can't be friends with ruffians like a pirate hunter and a former thief!" Usopp agreed.

Nami hit him in the head when he said that. "'Ruffians' are unnecessary!"

"But Usopp's right! What matters is the present, not the past!" Allen shouted. "You talk like you know them, but I speak for these guys that their characters are more important than their backstories!"

"Robin and Xion are our friends and family! Don't badmouth either of them!" Chopper exclaimed.

The two couldn't believe how far the others were willing to go for them. Well, Xion could, but still, she didn't think they, especially Allen, would still defend her so strongly.

"I see... You really did a good job befriending this lot," Aokiji said to them.

Robin couldn't take him any more and crossed her arms. "Just get to the point already! If you want to capture me, go ahead and do it! **Treinta Fleurs!** " Thirty arms sprouted out from the ground and Aokiji himself and got him in a hold.

"Robin! Stop it!" Usopp shouted, fearing for the worst.

"Oh, my, my... It seems I've said too much," Aokiji said, not at all frightened by what comes next like the arms were. "It's too bad. I had too high an opinion of you, thinking you were a little smarter than that."

" **Clutch!** " Next thing they knew, Robin's arms had bent him backwards and he shattered into ice.

"Ahhh! He shattered into pieces and died!" Chopper screamed.

"No... Look again!" Chirithy exclaimed, pointing at the ice slowly coming back together.

"Oh no... We're screwed..." Usopp said in a panicked tone. "H-Hey, guys! Run! Let's get out of here!"

"To where?!" Guthrie questioned. "He's going to come after us whether we like it or not!"

"That wasn't nice," Aokiji said, approaching Robin. He grabbed a handful of grass and froze them, creating an ice saber. " **Ice Saber.** I wasn't going to kill you, but..."

Just as he was about to swing his weapon, Xion acted fast and went to strike him, thus forcing him to switch his opponent to her. "You leave Robin alone!" she shouted in an enraged tone.

"Oh, and by the way, another thing about your bounty," Aokiji said to her. "It doesn't only show that organization your progress, but also tells us what your current strength is. And as you are now... You cannot beat me either."

"What was that?!"

Aokiji forced her back and froze the ground to where she was landing. Xion slipped a little, but managed to stay on her feet. However, that didn't stop him from extending the freeze to her feet, where she was now unable to move. "What the-?!"

"I suppose you should start first then, as you're the most dangerous one here," the admiral said, charging at her with his blade.

Before he could hit her, however, Zoro blocked the blade with one of his swords. Sanji followed it up with kicking the ice out of his hand.

"Hmph. How dare you butt in, you damn cook?" Zoro questioned.

"The same to you, you natural monument," Sanji retorted.

" **Gum Gum...!** " Luffy came charging in with his arm stretched back.

While her three crew members were keeping him busy, Xion took the chance to melt the ice on her feet to free herself.

Aokiji, on the other hand, grabbed Zoro and Sanji by the arm and leg respectively.

" **... Pistol!** " Luffy landed a hard punch on Aokiji's stomach.

The moment his fist landed, however, it started to freeze up. Literally. Not just Luffy's hand, but also Zoro's arm and Sanji's leg!

"AHHH! He froze them!" Chopper screamed out.

"Those three... All at once..." Nami spoke in disbelief.

"Luffy! Zoro! Sanji!" Guthrie called in worry.

The three strongest members of the crew all lied there, withering in pain.

"O-Oh no! They have to be treated right away!" Chopper exclaimed. "If they get frostbite, their limbs will become gangrenous!"

"I'll hold him off as long as possible!" Allen shouted, already charging in.

"No wait, Allen! Don't do anything stupid!" Guthrie called.

The boy didn't listen and instead put on a pair of his favorite gloves. " **Flaming Thrust!** " He threw his arm forward, palm open and facing the admiral, and unleashed flames from his hidden flame dial at him.

Aokiji widened his eyes with he saw this and immediately had up a wall of ice. "Strange... I could've sworn there was already a pirate with fire powers," he muttered.

When the wall melted, Allen thrusted his other arm at Aokiji. " **Impact Thrust!** " As soon as his palm made contact with his torso, Aokiji was, once again, shattered into ice. The dancing pirate widened his eyes when this happened. "Again?!"

"Now I see..." Aokiji spoke. "You're using dials that are said to be found on Sky Island. So it really does exist." Allen looked behind him, where the source of the voice came from and saw Aokiji standing there. "I don't know where else you hide then, so to be safe..."

"Allen! Get out of there!" Xion cried out.

It was too late, as the admiral initiated his attack. " **Ice Ball.** " Next thing everyone knew, Allen was encased in a ball of ice. Seeing this, everyone was speechless at what had occurred, but none were as speechless as Xion, who stood there with wide, shocked eyes.

"Allen!" Guthrie called out.

"You've come across such good friends," Aokiji said, walking over to his first target. "But you're still you, Nico Robin!"

"No...! I'm not..." Robin tried to retort, but couldn't find the courage in her to.

Aokiji had his body fall on top of her and wrapped his arms around her, and turned her to ice.

"Robin!" Chopper cried out.

"You bastard!" Luffy shouted at the admiral.

"Don't yell. She'll still live if you defrost her slowly. Same with that winged boy over there. He's not dead, just trapped. Well, not yet at least," Aokiji told him. "However, Nico Robin's body has become fragile, so be careful. If her body is broken, she'll die. For example..." He raised an arm, to their fear. "If you smash it like this..."

Before he got the chance to, something hit him in the face and actually knocked him away. Not break, but knocked him away.

"Whoa! What the-?!" Usopp gasped.

"D-D-Did you see that?!" Chirithy asked.

"I think I did..." Nami answered.

Aokiji got up, rubbing his face in pain. Wait... Pain? There are only two times when that happened. Well, three actually. The first is if his guard is down. The second is if he was facing a certain opponent with a certain ability. And the third...

He looked up and saw Xion standing right where he was, free from the ice. Not only that, but around her body, he saw what seemed like dark wisps all around her and her Keyblade. The girl was also making what sounded like panting- no, seething sounds.

"How dare you..." Xion... snarled? "How dare you... to my friends... I won't forgive you. I won't forgive you! I'LL KILL YOU!" The girl finally lifted her face and he saw them. The one thing that differentiates the higher-ups, the strongest of that powerful group's members from the others; yellow eyes.


	3. Against the Frost and One's Duties

**This chapter... is quite epic. Especially with a certain fight scene that will occur here. I think you all know which fight scene I speak of~. You have been warned.**

 **... Don't judge me; I've always wanted to say that, okay?**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Allen! Get out of there!" Xion cried out._

 _It was too late, as the admiral initiated his attack. " **Ice Ball.** " Next thing everyone knew, Allen was encased in a ball of ice. Seeing this, everyone was speechless at what had occurred, but none were as speechless as Xion, who stood there with wide, shocked eyes._

 _"Allen!" Guthrie called out._

 _"You've come across such good friends," Aokiji said, walking over to his first target. "But you're still you, Nico Robin!"_

 _"No...! I'm not..." Robin tried to retort, but couldn't find the courage in her to._

 _Aokiji had his body fall on top of her and wrapped his arms around her, and turned her to ice._

 _"Robin!" Chopper cried out._

 _"You bastard!" Luffy shouted at the admiral._

 _"Don't yell. She'll still live if you defrost her slowly. Same with that winged boy over there. He's not dead, just trapped. Well, not yet at least," Aokiji told him. "However, Nico Robin's body has become fragile, so be careful. If her body is broken, she'll die. For example..." He raised an arm, to their fear. "If you smash it like this..."_

 _Before he got the chance to, something hit him in the face and actually knocked him away. Not break, but knocked him away._

 _"Whoa! What the-?!" Usopp gasped._

 _"D-D-Did you see that?!" Chirithy asked._

 _"I think I did..." Nami answered._

 _Aokiji got up, rubbing his face in pain. Wait... Pain? There are only two times when that happened. Well, three actually. The first is if his guard is down. The second is if he was facing a certain opponent with a certain ability. And the third..._

 _He looked up and saw Xion standing right where he was, free from the ice. Not only that, but around her body, he saw what seemed like dark wisps all around her and her Keyblade. The girl was also making what sounded like panting- no, seething sounds._

 _"How dare you..." Xion... snarled? "How dare you... to my friends... I won't forgive you. I won't forgive you! I'LL KILL YOU!" The girl finally lifted her face and he saw them. The one thing that differentiates the higher-ups, the strongest of that powerful group's members from the others; yellow eyes._

* * *

Everyone stood or lied there, frozen in shock at what was going on. Even Aokiji was surprised. He was aware of the danger the girl poses, but he wasn't sure exactly how dangerous she was. No, it wasn't that he wasn't sure; he underestimated her. After his encounter with the organization searching for her, he should've known how powerful she really was, even if she, herself, was unaware.

Xion let out a loud battlecry that one can mistake for as a roar and charged at Aokiji. The guy tried to put up an ice wall like he had done before, only for her to toss her Keyblade, covered in flames, at it. The flaming weapon not only easily broke through the ice, but also struck him hard. And being an ice-element logia-type Devil Fruit user, that hit did some more damage on him.

"Usopp! Chopper! Nami! Take this chance and take Robin and Allen back to the ship!" Luffy ordered, snapping himself out of the fight.

"O-Oh! Right!" Usopp stuttered, also snapping himself out of it, as he, Nami and Chopper, in his Heavy Point form, took the frozen girl and trapped boy back to Merry.

"Luffy! You, Zoro and Sanji should go back too!" Guthrie advised. "You have to get rid of those ice!"

"He's right! Leave Xion and Aokiji to us!" Chirithy added. "And by us, I mean Guthrie!"

"Well of course you did!"

"What are you saying?! You can't take him on your own!" Luffy told him.

"But if you guys fight in your condition, you'd might as well kill yourself!" Guthrie reasoned. "Don't worry! I'll hold him off as long as I could! You just hurry up and get those limbs treated! Now! You can't be a Pirate King if you have only one arm! Same with Zoro and Sanji! If your limbs fall off because you decided to keep fighting this guy, what do you think will happen then?!"

The trio hesitated when he brought that up. Chopper did say earlier that they had to be treated or they would get frostbite.

"Okay. We'll be back soon!" Luffy said, as he, Zoro and Sanji ran back to the ship as fast as they could.

Back to the battle at hand, Aokiji kept trying to avoid Xion's attacks and froze her whenever he could, knowing that it was pointless to block them. However, the girl was attacking swiftly and savagely, especially as the dark aura gathered in her free arm and formed a claw, allowing her to deliver some claw attacks at him.

" **Ice Ball**!" He tried to use the same move he used on Allen to trap her in ice. At first, the attack landed and trapped her. Unfortunately for him, the ice didn't last long, as she broke free from it, covered in what seemed like black flames.

"Oh my, my... So they weren't kidding after all..." he said, avoiding another hit from Xion.

" **Strike Raid!** " came Guthrie's voice. Aokiji looked just in time to see Guthrie's own Keyblade, Follow the Wind, closing in on him. He quickly ducked from it and jumped back, as the Keyblade returned to its owner.

The sight of him with a Keyblade made Aokiji widen his eyes in shock. ' _It's not just her?_ ' he wondered, as he summoned more ice sabers and blocked Xion's attacks.

' _I know I have to stop Xion, but with how things are... I can only hope she can tell who is friend or foe,_ ' Guthrie thought. ' _Besides, i_ _f I just go after her, who knows what Aokiji would do after. And I highly doubt I can handle both of them by myself. I have to make this work somehow._ '

" **Spark Blast!** " Guthrie pointed his Keyblade at Aokiji and shot out some thunder balls. The balls surrounded Aokiji and came together, giving him quite a shock.

While he was distracted by the shock, Xion followed it up with getting close to his face and smacked her Keyblade in his face, slamming Aokiji to the ground. The admiral used the momentum to flip himself back on his feet and distance himself further from the two Keyblade wielders. And it was then, the strangest thing happened.

"Xion! Assuming you can still hear me-" Guthrie tried to speak, until Xion suddenly got to his face and swung her Keyblade upward. The male chosen managed to block the strike in time and was pushed back. "What the-?! Xion?!"

Xion gave no answer, as she looked up, showing Guthrie the white in her eyes starting to change to yellow, and the dark aura around her Keyblade was slowly starting to change the weapon. The girl let out another battlecry as she charged at Guthrie, much to the latter's surprise as he raised his Keyblade to block her strike. Increasing his surprise even further, she forced him back several feet.

' _What the hell?! I don't remember Xion being this strong! Is it because of those black wisps around her?! And her eyes... They were yellow before, but now, it's changing into that of the Heartless._ ' His eyes widened when he realized one thing as the two clashed blades once more.

"Xion! Don't tell me you're changing into a Heartless!" he shouted.

Rather than answering him, the next thing he knew, Xion swiped him with her 'claws', knocking him in the air. She then fired a black fireball at him, in which he managed to cut away with his Keyblade.

While they were distracted with fighting each other, seeing Xion as the biggest threat, Aokiji used his Devil Fruit Powers to at least try and trap her in ice. " **Ice Time Capsule!** " He froze the ground in ice, as it made its way towards Xion.

As if sensing the attack coming, the girl took a big leap in the air and landed on the ice, right before him. As the ice made its way up, covering her legs, Xion jabbed her Keyblade forward, in which Aokiji was swift enough to jump back to avoid.

"Try as you will, but you made a mistake landing on my ice. Soon, you will-"

Suddenly, Xion unleashed an orb of light into the air Aokiji felt himself being pulled towards the light. The dark aura around her body quickly thawed her out of the icy prison, as she then leapt into the air and struck the admiral from above, stabbing her Keyblade into him and jumping off him multiple times, forcing him down to the ground. After the last strike that slammed Aokiji down, Xion gathered more dark energy in her claws and shot out a large black orb of dark flames at him.

" **Ice Block: Avalanche!** " He quickly froze the moisture above him into a giant block of ice, using it as a shield to block the dark flames as he moved away from his spot.

As the two were continuing their battle, Guthrie turned to Chirithy. "Chirithy! What the heck is going on?! What's up with Xion?!" he demanded.

"I... I don't know!" he answered.

"What?! What do you mean 'you don't know'?! You were the one who told me to protect Xion, you told me of the people who are after her, you should know what's going on!"

"Hey, there are things even I don't know!"

A battlecry was heard and Guthrie looked up to see Xion charging in at him again. Just as he raised his Keyblade to block, she suddenly dove into the ground, out of his sight.

Guthrie looked around, seeing no sign of the girl. "Where'd she go?" he asked.

Chirithy also looked around and let out a yelp. "Guthrie! Below you!"

His warning came too late, as Xion came out of Guthrie's shadows and struck the male Keyblade wielder. While he was down, Xion grabbed him by the throat with her claw hand and kept him grounded.

Guthrie gripped her hand, in an attempt to get her to loosen her hold on him at the very least. "Xion! Get a hold of yourself!" he breathed out.

Xion didn't answer as she raised her Keyblade in an attempt to kill him. Before that could come to be, something grabbed her head from behind and got her off him.

"This has gone on long enough. **Ice Time!** " Before she could managed to free herself, Aokiji froze her entire body into ice, the same way he did to Robin.

"Xion!" Guthrie cried out.

"My, my... That really was a close one," Aokiji stated. Looking over to Guthrie, he then said, "I don't know where you got that weapon boy, or your relationship with this girl, but you should be grateful I froze her when I got the chance. If I hadn't stepped in, you'd definitely die."

Guthrie glared at him when he said that. "You don't know that! Xion is not the kind of person who'd kill a comrade!"

"Yeah, you big meanie!" Chirithy agreed.

"After that fight, you still have faith in her? You should realize by now the kind of danger she is to your crew now," Aokiji said.

"You said the same thing about Robin. Well guess what! I'm not going to throw my friends away for something like this! Whatever that was just now that took over Xion, I'll help her overcome it! That's my job as her teacher, her protector and her friend!" Guthrie declared.

What he said made Aokiji narrow his eyes. "Oh? Is that so? Then I suppose that also makes you a threat as well. However, as much as I want to respect you as a protector, I'm afraid this one here can't afford to live out her life much longer." Aokiji raised Xion's frozen body up and attempted to slam it down to the ground to destroy her.

" **Gum Gum Scythe!** " Until Luffy came and struck the ice-man from behind, causing Aokiji to release his hold on Xion.

Before she could hit the ground, both Guthrie and Chirithy managed to catch her.

"Luffy?!" the Dream Eater gasped at the sight of the pirate, with his arm still frozen.

"What are you doing here?! I thought I told you to get that arm treated!" Guthrie said.

"Shut up! I'm not going to let my crew members fight an opponent they can't handle alone! I'm captain of this crew, so I don't have to listen to anything you have to say!" Luffy shouted. "You get Xion back to Merry, now!"

Guthrie gritted his teeth and gently put Xion's frozen body down.

"No way, Luffy," he told his captain. "Like you said, he's dangerous to take on alone. And after what he did to Xion, as her protector, it's my responsibility to take down the person who froze her like this. We're teaming up against him, whether you like it or not!"

Luffy paused and looked at him when he said that. A smile formed on his face as he looked back at Aokiji, who pieced himself back together. "Okay. Then we'll fight him together, Guthrie!"

"Aye aye, captain!" he answered.

"Oh my, my... Well this is quite a change of plans," Aokiji said. "No choice then. As a marine, it is my job to capture pirates. While one of you may not have a bounty now, but you may have one in the near future. Especially with that weapon. As I don't have a ship, it should be okay for me to kill you both, right?"

Both Luffy and Guthrie got into battle position, while Chirithy took the frozen Xion to safety.

* * *

 _ ***MEANWHILE, BACK ON MERRY***_

While Nami was on deck, trying to melt the ice trapping Allen with her Heat Balls, Chopper and Usopp are both in the shower room, trying to thaw Robin out with water.

"She... can't breathe, can she?" Usopp asked their doctor.

"I think she's probably in a state of suspended animation," Chopper answered.

"T-Then won't she die if we don't hurry?"

"But if we warm her up rapidly, her body will break. We need to restore her body temperature from the inside."

"I-Is this really going to work?"

"I don't know... But this is the only way."

Usopp panicked when he heard the first half of the response. "You can't say you don't know! Robin's life depends on you!"

Chopper teared up when he said that. "But I've never seen a human whose entire body gets frozen like this!"

"Then what about Allen?! Are you sure it's okay for Nami to use the Heat Balls to melt all that ice?!"

"Unlike Robin, Allen's body is not all iced up! Aokiji said he's only trapped in there, and I've helped Doctorine save people who got themselves trapped in ice! Plus, Aokiji said that she's still alive, but to me, it's surprising that she is!"

"Don't whine! If you can't do anything, then no one can save her! You're the doctor of this ship!"

"I know that! Just shut up for a while!"

"Can you two stop shouting out there?!" Nami shouted from the deck. "Especially you, Usopp! This is not the time to panic! Like you said, Chopper is the doctor here! So shut up, listen to him and help him thaw Robin out!"

"But Nami! We're talking about actually saving lives here!" Usopp shouted back.

"I know that! That's all the more reason why you should shut up and let the doctor do all the worrying and the instructions! If Xion is in your shoes, she'd believe in Chopper and do whatever it takes to save Robin!"

At that, Usopp kept quiet, looking back at Chopper, who continued to splash water on the still frozen Robin. Deciding that hesitating won't do much good much longer, he also continued to splash water on the archeologist.

"Chopper!" came Zoro's voice.

After instructing Usopp to continue splashing Robin, the man-reindeer rushed out the shower room and saw Zoro and Sanji standing by the ship, with their body parts still frozen. There was just one problem; it was only them who came back.

"Huh?! Why is it only two of you?!" he gasped.

"We'll explain later!" Zoro answered. "Hurry up and tell us what to do with these ice so we can go back!"

Realizing how dire the situation, Chopper thought of a solution for them. "Ah, okay! Let's see... We have to melt those frozen areas with water immediately! But we're using the shower room for Robin right now."

"Is she okay?!" Sanji asked.

Chopper paused at his question. "It's still too early to tell."

Splashes were heard and the two looked and saw both the two in the sea.

"Is this okay?!" the chef asked.

"Y-Yeah! Once you melt the ice at low temperature, come up to the ship while rubbing the affected parts!" Chopper instructed.

* * *

Some time later, after finally melting the ice off, the two boys returned to deck and rubbed the affected parts with towels. As they did so, Usopp walked out of the shower room.

"Why are you guys here? Where are Luffy, Xion, Guthrie and Chirithy?! What about Aokiji?!" he asked in a panicked tone.

"Guthrie told us to go on ahead. And Luffy went back to help him and Xion-san fight Aokiji before he got his frozen arm treated. Right now, none of us here know what's happening over there," Sanji answered.

"Wait a second! Are you saying you guys left them by themselves?!" Usopp gasped in disbelief.

"Captain's orders."

"So what?! Even if it is a captain's order, you shouldn't have left them alone like that! You're being a little too cold-hearted here! Right now, Xion and Guthrie are-!"

"Shut up!" Sanji snapped, pushing the guy to a wall. "It's a captain's order! Don't you get it!"

"Stop it! This is no time for that!" Zoro told them.

The guys went silent at his voice.

"Right now... We're in a huge crisis... Whatever comes next, be prepared for it."

* * *

 _ ***BACK TO GUTHRIE'S GROUP***_

How could this have happened? Was he actually this strong? Or could it be that they got weaker? No... Robin said it herself; this man is one of the strongest Marines in the world. How they was still alive at this point is a wonder for him, especially when some parts of their body are covered in ice.

"Oh my, my... And here I thought it was Straw Hat who is the only odd one in this crew," Aokiji stated, looking down at the half-frozen pirates.

"Guthrie! You can beat him! Fight!" Chirithy cheered, still trying to take care of Xion's frozen body.

As if responding to the cheer, both Luffy and Guthrie charged at their opponent with their fist and Keyblade.

" **Sonic Blade!** " The male chosen then rushed at the admiral, intending to jab his blade right through him.

Aokiji simply called upon an ice wall, causing Guthrie's Keyblade to imbed itself and get stuck in it.

Luffy, on the other hand, used his crew mate as a stepping stone and got over the wall and landed on the other side of Aokiji. As the admiral was about to grab and freeze the pirate, Luffy managed to avoid the hand and kicked him in the air. The captain then inhaled a lot of air in him and rotated his body. Once he was at his limit, he exhaled all the air and shot himself into the air. " **Gum Gum... Storm!** "

Unfortunately, while he did manage to land a barrage of punches at the admiral, like before, Aokiji shattered in ice shards. The marine then reformed himself and wrapped an arm around Luffy. " **Ice Time...** " Like Robin and Xion, Aokiji also froze Luffy's body in ice.

"Luffy!" Guthrie cried out in shock, finally managing to get Follow the Wind out of the ice.

Aokiji landed on the ground and placed the frozen male pirate down. "And then there was one... Would you like to try your luck? I won't ridicule you if you decide to give up."

"Guthrie..." Chirithy breathed out in worry.

Guthrie tightened his grip around his Keyblade, trying calm himself and not tremble before this tall man before him. With a loud battlecry, he charged at Aokiji again.

" **Ice Block: Partisan!** " The ice-man created several spears of ice and hurled them at Guthrie.

The Straw Hat counselor blocked them all and made an attempt to strike Aokiji down, only to see that the guy made icicle copies of himself and even turned himself into ice.

"What the-?! Which one is the real deal?!" he asked.

" **Ice Dart,** " came a voice from behind. Guthrie turned in time to see what seemed like a dart made of ice close in on him and leaned back to avoid it. After avoiding it, he saw that there were more ice copies of Aokiji behind him.

"What the hell...?" he breathed out.

" **Ice Clones,** " came Aokiji's voice. "Try as you might, but no matter how good you are, your attacks don't mean a thing if they can't hit me."

"Shut up! Just watch me, if that's what you really think!" Guthrie exclaimed.

"I don't need to; I already have you." Those words confused Guthrie, until... " **Ice Ball.** " He felt a chill cover his body and looked down to see his body in a ball of ice, similar to Allen's situation.

"W-What just... happened...?" he asked, chattering his teeth from the cold.

"Guthrie!" Chirithy cried out in shock.

"What else does it look like? You're trapped. This fight... is my win." Guthrie turned his head and saw Aokiji sitting down a few feet from him, head on his palm with the elbow on his knee. "You seem quite desperate to protect and save Nico Robin and Starlight Blade. Both you and Monkey D. Luffy. Well, if you want to protect those two that badly, then who am I to stop you any longer? However, let me warn you with this; In the future, both Nico Robin and Starlight Blade will grow. One day they'll be too much for you all to handle. None of you will be able to shoulder the burden of the brutal fate both are born into. Both are being targeted by powerful enemies right now that you have no hope of beating in the level of power you have. I can tell you right now that they are soon to strike at the two, and it'll be like chasing after two bears who are hunting two rabbits. Either you save one while the other dies, or you get killed trying to save both. That's what it means to be associated with them, boy."

"W-Why are you telling me this?" Guthrie asked.

"Well... As much as I want to do my job as a marine and arrest or kill you all, we still owe your captain there." The Straw Hat counselor looked over to the frozen Luffy when he said that. "That guy suppressed a former exceptional pirate we've allied ourselves with, one that actually had an evil intention behind our back." Aokiji got up from his spot and walked away. "Give your captain my thanks. And tell him to cancel our debt for what he had done to Crocodile. And also... No, actually. I don't have to talk about that idiot Smoker. See you guys around."

Just as he was out of sight, Zoro and Sanji came.

"There they are!" the former shouted.

"Luffy! Guthrie! Chirithy! Xion-san!" the latter called.

"Guys! Help us out here!" Guthrie called out to them.

* * *

Once they managed to free Guthrie from his icy prison, somehow, the guys brought Xion and Luffy back to Merry as fast as they could to get them both thawed and treated as fast as possible.

The operation was long, even for Chopper to handle. Everyone else waited on deck, hoping the they and Robin are okay. Nami got Allen free from his ice ball and the shivering dancer was wrapped in blankets and warm towels and sat near a working Flame Dial, trying to get himself all warmed up from the heat. Guthrie wasn't as bad, but he also had a blanket wrapped around him for warmth.

After a while, Chopper slammed the door open, all teary eyed. "T-The three of them... Their hearts... Started beating!" he announced.

Everyone was so glad to hear the news, they jumped in sheer joy. Sanji and Usopp were the happiest and most relieved, as they attempted to rush in to see the three former icicles' condition.

"You can't go inside yet! You'll make a racket!" Chopper told them, going into his Heavy Point to stop the two from advancing.

"Hey, Dr. Chopper. I'll make something for them," Sanji bribed.

"Y-You calling me 'doctor' doesn't make me happy, you jerk!" Chopper lied, going into his Brain Point and doing his little dance. "Ah! When they wake up, some drinks that can warm them up would be good. I'll carry them to the lounge later."

"Aye aye, sir!" With that, Sanji went to the kitchen to get something ready for the patients.

"But still, it's a relief..." Allen said. "I was really worried there, especially for Xion. She was still recovering from what happened in Sky Island after all. And for her to just suddenly get into another action like that..."

"I know. And I checked Xion-nee's arms. Thankfully, that fight didn't do anything to strain them even more," Chopper told him.

"That's good."

"Nami, are we setting sail?" Zoro asked the navigator.

"No, we aren't. Not with our captain and vice-captain like that," Nami answered. "We've got the log, but let's just stay here for today."

"She has a point. It'll be too dangerous to set sail and run into more trouble while we have patients," Chirithy agreed. "We should take this time to relax."

Something caught Zoro's eyes and he looked to see Usopp slumped to the floor. "What's the matter, Usopp? You feeling drained?"

"I wonder if strong guys like him are coming after us from now on... All I did was get flustered," he answered.

When he said that, Guthrie, who had his attention to the floor this whole time in silence, narrowed his eyes. He looked at his hand and turned his attention to the med bay.

"Get some sleep, you idiot. You're exhausted," Zoro advised their sniper.

Chopper then approached Guthrie and Chirithy. "Hey, Guthrie, Chirithy. Can I talk to you two for a moment?"

"I'll do the talking. Guthrie has to rest easy and get warm," the Dream Eater said, following Chopper to one side of the deck.

"Did something happen to Xion-nee?" the Devil Fruit user asked.

"In what way?" Chirithy asked, wondering if he meant in general or if Aokiji did something weird to her.

"It's just, when you brought her here, Xion-nee's arm kind of looked like a monster's, right? Yet, when Usopp and I got her out of the ice, her arm was as normal as can be. I'm pretty sure Aokiji used the same ice-imprisonment technique he used on Robin, and yet the fact that he made the arm look scary..."

Chirithy's eyes widened a bit in shock, knowing what Chopper was trying to say. In truth, he was actually worried he and Guthrie had to tell the crew what happened to Xion while they were gone. But to hear that whatever transformation occurred to her was undone brought him relief in more ways than one.

"Might be some sort of hobby," he lied.

"Yeah, that might be possible," Chopper accepted.

Meanwhile, Allen looked over to Guthrie, noticing how quiet he was. "Is something on your mind, Guthrie?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, no. It's nothing really," he lied.

Allen looked down and around, noticing none of the other crew members were paying much attention to them. He then asked in a whispered tone, "Xion... didn't go on a rampage, did she?"

Hearing that question surprised Guthrie as he turned to the winged-pirate. "How did you...?"

"I'd be lying if I said I heard from in that ice Aokiji trapped me in. But, when you guys brought her on board, some parts of her weren't human. I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but that form... looked familiar. It was similar to the form she took back in Upper Yard, when we were making our way to the ruins. A bunch of Heartless got in the way and she wanted to get there as soon as possible... especially because something happened to Chopper at that time. But then... she did one of those links with her Dream Eaters, took on a form similar to that, and... She just wasn't herself."

Guthrie was surprised to hear that this wasn't the first time it happened. In fact, with how crazy Xion was at the time, he was shocked to know that Allen was even okay after that.

"Guthrie... What you saw back there, promise me you won't tell Xion," Allen requested, much to the counselor's surprise. "I know you think we should, but if we tell Xion the truth, it'll make her more worried. She was worried enough about being targeted by that organization. If she hears what may be the reason for them going after her, she'd leave. Either that, or she'd try to use that power against them and never come back." The dancer looked back to the med bay. "I've been with her long enough. Around the second half of our time together, before she suddenly left, she looked like she had a heavy burden on her and always looked so sad. I don't want to see her with that face again. Promise me. You won't say a word about what happened back there or this conversation to her."

Seeing the guy look at him with a serious demeanor made Guthrie hesitate. He had planned on telling Xion about it and offer to help her in some way to control it, but to hear Allen request that and give that reason... While the male chosen felt it was right to tell Xion, at the same time, with what Allen had told him, he couldn't find it in him to want to tell the girl of the fight.

"... I promise," he finally said.

* * *

That night, everyone all rested at the lounge, wanting to be by their now-healed crewmates' sides until they were 100% better. While most were sleeping peacefully, with Luffy already showing signs of full recovery as he was disheveled on his bed, Guthrie sat on Robin's bedside. While he was aware of Xion's situation, being her appointed guardian, he didn't know about Robin's. Everything Aokiji said about her was really bothering him and made him worry about her.

"Hey, Guthrie..." came a whisper. The Keyblade wielder looked to see Chirithy wandering over to him, frowning at his partner. "Why aren't you with Xion, right now? You should be tending to her instead of this one."

"She's fine. She's recovered, and Allen's looking after her," Guthrie answered, looking over to the sleeping Skypiean on Xion's bedside, his head resting right by Xion's pillow. "And we can see Luffy is a-okay. Robin needs someone to take care of her while she is like this, so I'll stay and tend to her."

These words, for some reason, irritated Chirithy. "Why are you considering the life of this woman over the one you are SUPPOSE to protect?! She is not as big of a liability as Xion! It's about time you realize why you came to this world in the first place!"

Hearing this angered Guthrie as he stood up and grabbed the Dream Eater by his cape, much to the latter's surprise, as they made their way out the room and to the deck.

"Hey! Put me down, idiot!" Chirithy called as silently as possible, so as to not wake anyone else up.

Once they were at a good distance away from the crew, Guthrie dropped and glared down at the Spirit, growling, "Don't you dare talk about Robin that way! Every life is important, even Robin's! Stop constantly telling me to go to Xion's side all the time!"

"But that is your duty!" Chirithy barked, hopping onto a nearby barrel to get closer to eye-level with Guthrie. "You are the guardian who is suppose to protect Xion from Organization XIII! And yet, you spend more of your time protecting that woman over her! Haven't you already found out how difficult the opponents are so far?! Look at your fight with Larxene! Look at the one with Aokiji! Both of those fights were prompted by the fact that they were targeting this woman, and you-!"

Guthrie stepped up and smacked Chirithy across the face with his fist, knocking him off the barrel and over to the mast. "Stop calling her 'this woman' and 'that woman'! Her name is Nico Robin!" he barked. "You know, I am sick and tired of you constantly demoting the rest of the crew, only focusing on me and my duties to protect Xion! You think I fight those kind of people just for her sake?! I fight for the crew, and that includes Robin! What's wrong with caring for more than one person?!"

Chirithy got back up to his feet, glaring at his so-called partner, frustrated with his lack of dedication. One the flip side, Guthrie was absolutely tired of his constant obsession and prodding him to fight only to protect Xion. It's like he didn't even care what group Xion joined into, as the people in it were just insignificant compared to her.

"If you wanna have someone protect Xion, then why don't you do the job, instead of forcing me to do it?!" the Keyblade wielder demanded. "You obviously care more for her than anyone else in this crew. As for me, I'll follow my own heart, and choose to help Robin in this situation!"

"You know what? Fine! You obviously forgotten why you came to this world in the first place. Either that, or you don't care enough to fulfill your duties. You wanna protect that archeologist so badly, then do it without my help!" He poofed away, leaving Guthrie fuming with anger at his partner's stubbornness.

For a short while, there was silence as he tried to calm himself down. He leaned against the rails, thinking. He cared for Robin, as well as the rest of the crew. What's wrong with that? What's the deal with not just wanting to protect Xion? Aokiji's last words echoed into his head once again at these questions.

"If you want to protect those two that badly, then who am I to stop you any longer? However, let me warn you with this; in the future, both Nico Robin and Starlight Blade will grow. One day they'll be too much for you all to handle. None of you will be able to shoulder the burden of the brutal fate both are born into. Both are being targeted by powerful enemies right now that you have no hope of beating in the level of power you have. I can tell you right now that they are soon to strike at the two, and it'll be like chasing after two bears who are hunting two rabbits. Either you save one while the other dies, or you get killed trying to save both. "

As sad as it was to say, he was right. After fighting Larxene and Aokiji, he realized how pathetic he was compared to them. Larxene was defeated by Xion, and Aokiji just let them live. He was pretty much helpless against the two opponents. He had to grow stronger in order to beat people like them, otherwise what good would he be to protect anyone. He might as well throw his life away to save them.

With those thoughts in mind, Guthrie walked back to the lounge and took his place back by Robin's side.

"Guthrie..." The Keyblade wielder looked around, and was startled to see Robin was awake. In truth, she had been awake since he and Chirithy left and used her Devil Fruit powers to eavesdrop on the argument.

"Robin! You're awake!" he stated, relieved to see her conscious.

Robin paused for a second, then said, "Please... don't worry about me. I don't want to be the reason you and Chirithy separate. He's right by saying that Xion is a bigger liability than me... I'm just a burden to you all."

The words hurt Guthrie, hearing Robin demote herself like this. He shook his head and replied, "That's not true. You are not a burden at all. Don't you dare say that, okay?"

"But I am..." Robin answered, her eyes quivering in hidden fear. "You heard Aokiji. I have been nothing but a curse to people's lives. Soon, I might bring something that'll cause all of you to die for me. I... I don't want that."

"Enough." Robin looked back up at Guthrie, who looked down at her with a determined expression. "Look, I can tell you have had a life that was painful and dangerous. I don't need to be a counselor to acknowledge that. However, I do know this; if your enemies are too strong for me to handle, then I'll just have to amp up my game and get stronger. I'm still trying to understand why you are so important, but I am not gonna give up on you. If the darkness tries to consume you, I will be the light that protects you, Robin. You'll always have me by your side, through thick and thin."

Robin felt touched by his words, and she could tell he was honest about what he had said. However, she knew the kind of enemies that pursuing her for twenty years, and knew that he, Xion, and the rest of the Straw Hats, had no chance on beating it. Especially not when Xion has a target on her back as well, and a much bigger one at that. She only prayed that they wouldn't deal with her past soon.

"Come on," Guthrie smiled assuringly at Robin. "Get some more sleep. You did manage to escape death from frost." The archeologist simply nodded and shut her eyes. As she did so, Guthrie also closed his own eyes, and decided to let sleep do its work.


	4. Front Crawl Frog to Train

**Hiya! Sorry for the wait, folks! Here's the next chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds! Now then, as you all know, last chapter the Straw Hats met up with someone of Robin's past. Someone she did not at all wanted to see again. That very same someone went and took down two of their crew members, as well as had Xion go to her break point and almost got someone killed. Managing to escape death by the skin of their teeth, aka Aokiji showing mercy and letting them go, we now wait as the frozen crew members recover from the fight. Now, the big question is... what will go on in the aftermath of this battle? Let's read and find out!**

 **One more thing... HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Guthrie... What you saw back there, promise me you won't tell Xion," Allen requested, much to the counselor's surprise. "I know you think we should, but if we tell Xion the truth, it'll make her more worried. She was worried enough about being targeted by that organization. If she hears what may be the reason for them going after her, she'd leave. Either that, or she'd try to use that power against them and never come back." The dancer looked back to the med bay. "I've been with her long enough. Around the second half of our time together, before she suddenly left, she looked like she had a heavy burden on her and always looked so sad. I don't want to see her with that face again. Promise me. You won't say a word about what happened back there or this conversation to her."_

 _Seeing the guy look at him with a serious demeanor made Guthrie hesitate. He had planned on telling Xion about it and offer to help her in some way to control it, but to hear Allen request that and give that reason... While the male chosen felt it was right to tell Xion, at the same time, with what Allen had told him, he couldn't find it in him to want to tell the girl of the fight._

 _"... I promise," he finally said._

* * *

 _Robin paused for a second, then said, "Please... don't worry about me. I don't want to be the reason you and Chirithy separate. He's right by saying that Xion is a bigger liability than me... I'm just a burden to you all."_

 _The words hurt Guthrie, hearing Robin demote herself like this. He shook his head and replied, "That's not true. You are not a burden at all. Don't you dare say that, okay?"_

 _"But I am..." Robin answered, her eyes quivering in hidden fear. "You heard Aokiji. I have been nothing but a curse to people's lives. Soon, I might bring something that'll cause all of you to die for me. I... I don't want that."_

 _"Enough." Robin looked back up at Guthrie, who looked down at her with a determined expression. "Look, I can tell you have had a life that was painful and dangerous. I don't need to be a counselor to acknowledge that. However, I do know this; if your enemies are too strong for me to handle, then I'll just have to amp up my game and get stronger. I'm still trying to understand why you are so important, but I am not gonna give up on you. If the darkness tries to consume you, I will be the light that protects you, Robin. You'll always have me by your side, through thick and thin."_

 _Robin felt touched by his words, and she could tell he was honest about what he had said. However, she knew the kind of enemies that pursuing her for twenty years, and knew that he, Xion, and the rest of the Straw Hats, had no chance on beating it. Especially not when Xion has a target on her back as well, and a much bigger one at that. She only prayed that they wouldn't deal with her past soon._

 _"Come on," Guthrie smiled assuringly at Robin. "Get some more sleep. You did manage to escape death from frost." The archeologist simply nodded and shut her eyes. As she did so, Guthrie also closed his own eyes, and decided to let sleep do its work._

* * *

It had been a week since the fight against Aokiji. During that time, four days were spent relaxing on the island, especially for Luffy, Xion and Robin's sake. While the certain dum-dum somehow managed to recover more quickly than the other two, the girls took their time to relax in the lounge. Every once in a while, each of the Straw Hat Pirates would come in to check up on them, especially Guthrie and Allen. Of course, that was with Chopper's permission as the doctor. And whenever those two would visit, Allen would often do some small dances in hopes that it would help the two recover faster, as Xion would always smile whenever she watches him dance. As for Guthrie, he'd often deliver some get-well drinks for them or read to them, mostly to Robin, as per her request. She would read herself, but Chopper recommended that she and Xion don't do anything that would strain their body while they were recovering, especially Xion. As overprotective as that was, the man-reindeer had a point, as neither girls were able to feel some parts of their body, hence most of the crew's question as to how Luffy was able to recover so fast.

While they weren't visiting the female patients, Allen was hanging out with Usopp, as the latter said something about making some awesome weapons for him like he did for Nami. Guthrie, on the other hand, was avoiding Chirithy, who was present on the ship and also avoiding the male Keyblade wielder in turn. Ever since their argument that night, the two weren't on good terms with each other and often avoid each other every chance they get. Seeing the two act this way confused the majority of the crew, but decided not to get in their business.

It is day three since they left the uninhabited island. The weather they were in was sunny and the trip to the next island was a smooth sailing. Everyone was relaxing on the ship, doing their own thing or having some of Sanji's snacks.

"Weird as these Blue Sea meals are, these are really good," Allen said, taking a bite of the potato paille. "And this is called a pail?"

"It's 'paille'," Sanji corrected. "It's kind of like fried potatoes. Well, since this is your first time in the Blue Sea, it's best if you don't ponder so much about it."

Allen nodded at his words and continued to enjoy the snack. ' _I wonder what sort of dance I should do this time?_ ' he wondered, thinking about Xion and Robin's recoveries.

Almost as though answering his wonders, the sound of a door opening was heard. Everyone turned and saw both Robin and Xion up and out of bed.

"Robin!" Nami called in relief.

"Xion!" Chirithy followed, just as relieved.

"Yoo-hoo! Robin-chwan! Xion-swan!" Sanji happily cheered.

"Robin! Xion-nee!" Chopper rushed over to the two girls. "How are you both feeling? Do either of you feel any chills?"

"We're feeling a lot better, thanks to you," Xion answered.

"Thank you, our excellent doctor," Robin thanked.

"Oh... Being called 'an excellent doctor' wouldn't make me feel happy, you jerk," Chopper claimed, as he did his usual happy dance.

"But wait, isn't he showing signs of being happy?" Allen asked.

"Don't worry about that either," Zoro told him.

"Take it easy, you two," Nami advised. "You might feel uneasy seeing Luffy being good as new after having the same experience as the both of you, but you can take your time and rest, you know."

"Yes, I am quite aware of that, Nami. Which brings me to the question of, how did you recover so quickly?" Xion questioned her captain. "And for the record, now that I've finally recovered completely, can someone enlighten me as to what happened back there?"

"Huh? You mean you-" Usopp was cut off by a sudden headbutt to the face by Chirithy and was knocked down and out.

"Sorry. Thought I saw a bug," the little Dream Eater lied.

Yes, as it would seem, Xion had no memories of what had occurred during her fight against Aokiji. Apparently, after the admiral froze Robin, everything went black for her. As such, she had no idea what happened that got her in her frozen situation earlier.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Xion. Really," Guthrie assured her.

"That really isn't at all answering my question, though..." she said.

"Robin-chan, Xion-san. Shall I make you something to warm you both up?" Sanji asked, changing the subject. "Do either of you have an appetite?"

"Then... May I have some coffee?" Robin requested.

"I'll have the same," Xion followed.

"Yes! It's my pleasure!" Sanji went to work on their orders.

"Are you two sure you're okay?" Guthrie asked in a worried tone.

"Yes, Guthrie. We spent a whole week doing nothing but stay in bed after all. I'd say we got more than enough rest," Xion answered.

"Then shall I do a dance to celebrate your recoveries?" Allen asked.

"Sure. After we've had our coffee to warm us up."

"Sure thing. I need to know how this 'coffee' as you call it work anyway."

With that, the girls, Allen and Chirithy followed Sanji in the kitchen.

By the figurehead, Zoro, eating some paille with Guthrie nearby, looked out to the sea, watching for any sign of trouble that may come their way. He saw something from a distance, moving in the ocean. "What the hell is that?"

"Hm? What is what?" Guthrie asked him, walking next to him. "See something?"

"Yeah. Over there." Zoro pointed at the thing in the water.

Whatever it was was doing a front crawl. The next thing they both knew, as it brought its face up to get some air... IT WAS A FROG!

Zoro and Guthrie were both shocked to see this, not believing that they were seeing a frog doing a front crawl instead of a breaststroke.

"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro called their captain, who was eating his share of the paille with Chopper and Usopp on the edge of Merry. "A-A frog is doing a front crawl!"

"What?!" the captain asked.

"It went to your side! Take a look!" Guthrie told them.

"Really?"

"A frog... As in that frog?" Chopper asked, as he and Luffy turned back to the sea.

Usopp, not believing in the claim, didn't turn back yet. "Hey, Luffy. Are you taking that stupid admiral seriously? To start with, there's no way a frog could do a-" When he turned back to the sea, he saw that very frog doing the front crawl! "No way! A frog is doing a front crawl!"

"Let's follow it guys!" Luffy ordered.

"Aye!"

"Furl the sails! Stand by the oars! Turn the ship to 2 o'clock!"

"Aye!"

"Hurry up!"

"I don't know why, but I feel like we have to go after it!" Zoro said.

"What a coincidence. So do I," Guthrie said.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the lounge, Sanji finished making the coffee for the girls.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, mademoiselles," he said.

"Smooth, aren't you," Chirithy stated.

Suddenly, they felt the ship jerk and either fell off their seats or fell to the floor.

"What the-?! What happened?!" Nami asked.

Once the ship had righted itself up, Robin, who somehow was casually still in her seat, with her Devil Fruit powers managing to save the tray of coffees, as well as taking a calming sip of her coffee, answered, "Seems like the ship changed course."

"How are you not affected by that sudden jerk?" Chirithy asked, slightly amazed at the feat she had done.

"Also, Demon-san. That's quite the show you're giving there."

At that additional statement, Nami, Chirithy and Sanji looked their vice-captain's direction... and had different expressions at the sight.

Xion fell off her seat from that jerk. However, instead of the hard floor she thought she'd feel, she felt something else under her.

"Ow... Are you okay, Xion?" came Allen's voice.

"Yeah, I'm-" she cut herself off, as the female Keyblade wielder opened her eyes and saw her face just inches away from Allen's. And not only that... she was lying right of top of him. Finding herself in such a situation felt funny to her. Very, uncomfortably, funny. In fact, it was enough that, especially knowing that there were people watching, she felt her face heat up, as she suddenly went and hit Allen... sending him flying right out of the room.

"What the heck did you do that for?!" Chirithy shouted, worried for the dancer with wide eyes.

At that question, Xion herself panicked. "Ah! I-I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

"And falling on top of Dancer-san wasn't?" Robin teased, enjoying the reaction she was getting.

"You're wrong!"

Sanji was in a corner of the room, covered in a fiery aura. "That damn dancer... Doing such a thing to Xion-san..." he growled.

"Okay, we all know that was an accident there!" Nami told him, trying to calm him down. Though, despite what she said, her face was also blushing from the sight she saw.

Wanting to leave the room and save herself from further embarrassment, Xion rushed out of the room. "Allen! Are you okay?!" she asked.

To say he was okay... wouldn't be right. Especially when the guy seemed to have been knocked into Guthrie and both were slammed into the mast.

"Ow... I'm okay..." the Shandian said, getting back up.

"Easy for you to say..." Guthrie groaned.

One look at Luffy and the rest rowing the ship's large oars, and Xion went to her vice-captain mode. "Hey! What's the big idea changing course so suddenly?!"

"Xion! You won't believe this!" Luffy called out. "We found a huge frog with scars all over its body!"

"What was that?" Nami asked, as she, Robin, Sanji and Chirithy joined Xion and the others back on deck.

"We're definitely gonna roast it whole and eat it!"

"You're gonna eat it?!" Zoro, Chopper and Guthrie questioned in shock.

The navigator brought out a pair of binoculars and looked through it, seeing the said frog from a distance. "Hey, he's right," she said. Nami then noticed something else ahead of the frog. "Hm? Is that a lighthouse?"

"A lighthouse? Then, is there an island nearby?" Xion asked.

"No, just a lighthouse. A Log Pose wouldn't point to that sort of place." Nami handed the vice-captain the binoculars, the latter looking through them.

"What about the frog?! Tell us where it went!" Luffy ordered them.

"Not a chance!" Nami denied.

Unfortunately, no one agreed with her on that response. "The frog is heading towards that lighthouse," Robin informed.

Nami couldn't believe she told him that.

"To cook frogs, first remove the slime using white wine, and then dredge them in flour and fry them to crisp," Sanji noted to himself.

"You're really going to cook it?!" Chirithy asked in shock.

"Hey, Sanji-kun!" Nami tried to scold, not believing even he was going along with this.

"Best give it up, Nami," Xion told her. "You know when Luffy gets like this, he won't stop until he gets what he wants." The navigator cried anime tears at the point she made.

"All right! Full speed ahead!" Luffy ordered, in which everyone made cries of response to.

"What's with the solidarity?!" Nami questioned.

The two pairs of rowers rowed the ship as fast as they could towards the swimming frog. Said oversized amphibian leapt out of the water, getting a good jump away from the ship.

"Don't let it get away!" Luffy ordered. "We'll move ahead of it and block its course!"

He and the other three guys rowed faster than before.

Through the binoculars, Xion saw something from a distance. "What is that in the water?" Upon noticing that Merry was heading straight to it, she then shouted, "Hey! Stop rowing!"

The warning came too late, as they bumped into the thing, causing everyone to lose their balance and fall.

"We ran ashore into something!" Usopp stated the obvious.

"Oh... Nami-san, Robin-chan, Xion-san, are you okay?" Sanji asked the girls.

"Yeah, somehow," Nami answered.

"I'm okay," Robin followed.

"Same here," followed Xion.

Sanji sighed in relief at their response. "That's good..." Suddenly, the crew heard dinging sound.

"What? What's this sound?" Nami questioned.

"What? What's going on?" Usopp asked.

Out of everyone on the ship, Xion and Guthrie were the only ones familiar with the sound. Guthrie was one thing, but where did Xion hear it from? And what was it? And why is she getting a bad feeling from it? Following the dingings was a loud and deep screeching sound.

"Hey. What is that?" Allen asked, pointing at something near the ship.

Half the crew looked at where he was pointing and saw a long pole with blinking red lights right next to Merry. One look... and Guthrie's face paled.

"Crap, don't tell me..." he muttered out. "How and why... in a place like this...?"

As for Xion, a memory flashed in her head, and she remembered what exactly was coming their way. "Go back! Go back! Turn this ship around now!" she ordered.

"What the hell is that?!" Sanji asked in shock.

"Just do what she said and turn this ship around!" Guthrie shouted.

Instantly, Luffy, Chopper, Usopp and Zoro went back to the oars and rowed as fast as they could, moving the Merry away from its spot. Unfortunately, the thing approaching them was faster and was going to collide with them-

" **STOPRA!** " -until Xion used her magic and managed to stop the train.

"Whoa! What is that?!" Luffy gasped out.

"W-W-W-What is that long lump of iron?!" Usopp questioned.

"A ship?" Chopper guessed.

"Something shaped like that can't be a ship!" Nami exclaimed.

"You can ask that after we get out of here!" Guthrie shouted at them.

"Yeah! Stop spells don't last that long!" Chirithy informed.

"Make it fast... I can't hold it for long..." Xion said, sweating and straining from her using magic before she could fully recover still.

At those words, the four pirates picked up the pace and got Merry away. The second they did, Xion gave out, ending the spell, as the train continued onwards as if it didn't stop at all. The long lump of iron wasn't the only thing that shocked them.

"Hey, frog! Run! What are you doing?!" Luffy shouted.

The frog said something, but because of the loud and fast vessel approaching him, Xion didn't quite catch what he said. Not like it mattered, as he got hit by the vessel!

"Ahh! It got run over!" Luffy cried out.

Everyone was just as shocked and worried for the frog, as the ship-like vessel left the group and was soon out of their sight.

"The ship was puffing out smoke!" Chopper could only say.

"No. That was not a ship..." Guthrie corrected, causing everyone to turn their heads to him.

"You know what that thing was, Guthrie?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah."

But before Guthrie would say what it was that almost ran them over, a little girl's voice cried out. "Grandma! Grandma! Pirates are here!"

That shout alarmed the group, as they looked over to the lighthouse.

"What? Is that true?! Okay then, bring the Transponder Snail to me!" came an elderly voice.

The group saw a tipsy-looking, obese, old lady with long, puffy-ish, blonde hair in pigtails, wearing conductor's clothes, a wine bottle in hand. With her were a little girl in an orange and red striped dress with a short, white shirt over it and a blue rabbit. Said little girl went off to get the Transponder snail for the elder.

"Should we be worried?" Allen asked, not familiar with the treatment as a pirate.

"Of course we should be worried," Zoro answered. "Someone came out of the lighthouse and will call for help. Help as in Marines."

Hearing that made Allen remember Aokiji, thus caused him to tense up.

By then, the kid got her grandmother the snail. "Here, Grandma!" she said, handing her the speaker part.

"Uh... Hello?" she spoke into it. "Let's see... What was it? I forgot." The lady then hung up, leaving the tension that was in the air.

"So she's drunk?!" Usopp and Chirithy gasped out in shock.

Lowering the anchor, some of the crew got off the ship and handed the lady and her two companions some paille Sanji made as peace offering. Peace as in they don't call the navy or any other officials on them again. Or attempt to at least.

"Oh? Paille, huh? Goes good with alcohol," the lady said.

"Whoa! This is good!" the kid exclaimed, taking a bite of the treat. "I'm Chimney. This is our cat, Gonbe-"

' ** _Hey,_** ' the 'cat' meowed in greeting.

"-and Grandma Kokoro."

"Blue Sea cats sure look like rabbits," Allen muttered in a mused tone.

"No. I'm pretty sure that is a rabbit," Chirithy corrected in a whisper.

"You guys aren't train robbers, are you?" the lady asked with a laugh.

"I'm Luffy. I'm the man who'll be the King of Pirates," Luffy casually greeted.

"Really?!" Chimney asked in amazement.

"Yeah."

Kokoro let out a laugh at how easy-going the future king was. "What an interesting guy."

"Hey Chimney. That just now wouldn't be a train, would it?" Guthrie asked. "We're in the middle of the sea. It shouldn't be possible for trains to travel on water."

"You've never seen anything like that, right?" Chimney asked back. "Even if you look all over the world, this is the one and only place where you can find it."

"Really? How come?" Allen asked in interest.

"Because that's a sea train called the 'Puffing Tom'."

"'Puffing Tom'?" Chirithy repeated in a questioned tone.

"It turns paddlewheels using the steam engine and runs on the sea railway."

"Railway?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. It runs a little below the surface of the sea."

Xion looked out to the ocean and in the water. There, she saw the railway Chimney spoke of. "She's right."

"The train travels the same route every day, taking passengers from one island to another," Chimney further informed. "It carries ships and mail as well."

"And we ran ashore on that, huh?" Sanji mused.

"That's right! There's both a signal and a partition. It's dangerous to come inside like that!"

"Except the signal is facing the opposite direction. We couldn't have seen it from where we were sailing," Guthrie reasoned.

"And even if it is facing our way, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think frogs are smart enough to know what it means," Allen said. "I mean, we saw that big one get sent flying earlier instead of running."

"Big frog? You mean Yokozuna?" Chimney asked.

"Yeah. That front crawl frog," Luffy confirmed.

"Yokozuna wouldn't die from that. He's the source of all our headaches at this shift station. He loves strength contests and always tries to defeat the sea trains. He'll show up again."

"That's why he didn't run?" Chirithy questioned.

"Though now that she mentioned it, it had the time to escape when I stopped that train with my magic earlier. Yet instead of running, he faced the train head one," Xion recalled.

"Oh yeah. He sure got guts," Luffy stated.

"Give me a break! We're having problems because of him! The rail guard was broken so many times! And every time he shows up, it causes the passengers a lot of trouble!" Chimney disagreed, pointing at a distance from the lighthouse, where the said broken piece of a train laid.

"Yikes. That's one tough froggy," Chirithy stated.

"To think Blue Sea animals are more frightening than the White-White Sea..." Allen muttered.

"No, no. I'm pretty sure it's just that Yokozuna frog," Guthrie told him.

"All right! I'm not gonna eat him! I'm not gonna eat a fighter!" Luffy decided.

"You shouldn't have thought about eating it in the first place," Nami scolded, as she and several others glared at their captain.

"So where do you guys wanna go?" Kokoro asked, taking a gulp of her wine. "If you're gonna take a sea train from here, the town of Spring Queen, St. Poplar, the gourmet town, Pucci, the Carnival town, San Flado... They're all fun places. And if you're with the Government, there's a separate, special train for you."

One of the places she listed sounded awfully familiar to them.

"The gourmet town, Pucci? Isn't that the place those people spoke of the other day?" Allen asked.

"Oh yeah," Luffy seemed to have remembered them. "Then we'll go to the gourmet town!"

"Obviously not!" Nami denied, slapping him on the head.

"Since we've got our own ship, we won't take the train," Xion reasoned. "We'll just go where the log takes us."

"Oh. Where's it pointing?" Chimney asked.

"East of here," Nami answered, raising her Log Pose.

"I see. That must be Water Seven," Kokoro said. "The train you saw earlier came from that island's Blue Station. It's called the 'City of Water'. A very nice place. Above all, it's a city that made a name for itself with its shipyard. Their technology is number one in the world! And the ships they build are the World Government's favorites! Isn't it amazing?!"

"Wow. Sounds like that place has some really good shipwrights," Guthrie stated.

"Not just 'some'; it's the hangout for the world's best shipwrights!"

Hearing those words got Luffy and Usopp excited.

"All right! I've decided! We're gonna go there and get a shipwright to join our crew for sure!" the former declared.

"Is that right? Then hold on a sec." Kokoro got up from her spot and went to the lighthouse for a moment. She came back out with a piece of paper in hand. "Here's a simple map of the island and a reference letter. Give this to a guy named Iceberg and ask him to fix your ship up good. Water Seven is a big place, so don't get lost."

That brought even bigger smiles on their faces, as the crew couldn't believe their luck in meeting this woman.

"You sure we can have this?!" Guthrie asked.

"Sure I'm sure."

As soon as the group gladly accepted the piece of paper, they returned back to the ship, ready to set sail once more.

"We'll be in Water Seven soon, too," Chimney told them.

"Yeah. If I ever see you guys again, I'll treat you guys to a drink at my favorite bar," Kokoro offered.

"Okay. I hope we'll see each other again soon!" Luffy said.

"It'll take about a week for the log to be stored in Water Seven, so you can take things easy."

"Yeah! Thanks!" To the rest of the crew, Luffy shouted, "Okay, guys! Get ready to set sail!"

"Aye!" majority of them replied.

"Thanks again, Kokoro-san. Chimney," Guthrie thanked.

"We'll be leaving now," Nami waved.

With that, the group set sail to the City of Water.

"Yahoo! Let's go! To the city of meat!" Luffy cheered, causing most of his crew to sweat drop at his words.

"I thought we were heading-"

"Don't bother questioning it," Xion interrupted Allen.


	5. To the City of Water

**My heart! It broke once... Then it formed... And then it broke again... And then it had a hint of hope... Finally... IT SINGS THE SONG OF HEAVEN! KH3 BABIES! Not that I can play the game as I don't have the console (sadly T^T) BUT! I can still watch the walkthroughs at least! Especially after some leaks... I do not mind leaks, but I know people will so I will not say a word, a peep of them! HOWEVER! I will at the very least put up this chapter as an early contribution to the new game! The game we all know and love with every being and life in our very soul! Wait, would it be called early since it is released in Japan at this point? I don't know.**

 **While we're on that topic, actually, did you know Elsa's voice in Let it Go sounds awesome in Japanese? I'm not saying this just because of a leak, but because of the Final Battle trailer (UGH! My heart breaks again from the mention! T^T). I mean, we saw her going up her icy stairs like she did in the movie during that song. It made me curious, and I started hearing the song in Japanese and between it and the original version? I don't know which one I prefer more.**

 **Regardless, enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _To the rest of the crew, Luffy shouted, "Okay, guys! Get ready to set sail!"_

 _"Aye!" majority of them replied._

 _"Thanks again, Kokoro-san. Chimney," Guthrie thanked._

 _"We'll be leaving now," Nami waved._

 _With that, the group set sail to the City of Water._

 _"Yahoo! Let's go! To the city of meat!" Luffy cheered, causing most of his crew to sweat drop at his words._

 _"I thought we were heading-"_

 _"Don't bother questioning it," Xion interrupted Allen._

* * *

"Hmm... What a nice wind!" Nami stated, enjoying the voyage to Water Seven. "We may be able to get to the city of water sooner than expected."

"I hope so," Chopper said.

"Luffy, leave the shipwright search to me. I'll find an incredibly pretty woman," Sanji volunteered, though his true intentions were practically spilled by the last sentence.

"Are you an idiot? It's a shipwright we're talking about!" Luffy told him.

"Wow. For once, our captain said something that makes sense," Guthrie said, knowing so well that an 'incredibly pretty woman' doesn't always mean incredible shipwright. Or at all for that matter. Plus, there was Sanji's true intentions behind his words.

"It's gotta be a big guy like a mountain! Five meters tall!"

"But if he's too big, we don't know if he could live on the ship okay," Usopp told their captain.

"All that matters is that he's skilled, right?" Zoro pointed out.

"Besides, he can sleep on deck like I did," Allen added.

"You've been sleeping on deck?" Xion asked him.

"You'd be surprised how noisy it is in the bedroom with these guys. I can't help but wonder how the silent sleepers deal with them. Besides, before I joined, I mostly sleep out in the woods of Upper Yard anyway."

"That's why I poof away at night when we sleep," Chirithy added. "But more importantly, can we even find someone crazy enough to want to be on a pirate ship?"

"I'm looking forward to it! We're gonna have another new friend!" Chopper said.

"We're lucky enough to stop at the station first, since they drew a map for us. If we go to the place on the map and visit the Iceberg guy..." Nami trailed off when she took a look at the map Kokoro gave them.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Xion asked, walking to Nami's side. One look at the map, and she realized why their navigator trailed off like she did. At least... it kind of looked like a map in Nami's hands... but more of a child's drawing of one.

"Like we can tell!" Nami shouted, crumbling the paper and slamming it on the floor.

This frightened Chopper a bit, as he picked up the map and took a look. "Whoa. This looks like Luffy's drawing."

Speaking of the pirate, he showed the boys the drawing of his most wanted shipwright... a horrible one at that.

"So we're going to search for a guy like this," he told the paling group.

"I highly doubt there's anyone like that even in the Blue Sea," Allen said.

"If there was, I'd run," Usopp said.

"Me too. If I had a boat, I'd escape to the sea," Sanji followed.

"But the guy seems related to an octopus. I doubt that would work," Guthrie pointed out, not wanting to take the risk of escaping to the sea if he ever sees anyone like Luffy's drawing.

"The reason why I'm glad I'm a Dream Eater," Chirithy said.

"What the hell are you guys running on about?" Zoro asked, walking up to higher ground, and the only guy not looking at the drawing to know Luffy's suppose preference in a shipwright.

"Well guys, come up here!" Nami called. "I'll give you some allowance for the week we're gonna stay here."

"Seriously?! Yaay! I'm first!" Chopper cheered

"Whoa! That's generous!" Luffy stated.

"I do need money for some clothes in this sea," Allen said.

Xion sighed at the guys' responses to Nami's action. Stretching her arms, she winced in slight pain, forgetting about the last set of battles they went through. Those reminders made her determined to train, harder than she had before. But of course, she couldn't do that with Chopper around at the moment. The doctor side of the man-reindeer wouldn't allow her to train in her condition. That said, she doubted Guthrie would help her train in secret. But, there was one other place she could go to train.

"If anyone's looking for me, I'll be resting in the girls' room," Xion informed, retreating to the girls' bedroom.

"You're going to rest still?" Allen asked her in a worried tone.

"My arms still needs healing, as Chopper had told me earlier. They'll be good as new by tomorrow, but I'd rather get some extra rest. Can't strain them too much or it'll take longer for them to heal up."

"I see... You do have a point there. We'll call you when we arrive at the island then. And I'll make sure Nami save you some money."

"Thank you, Allen." With that, Xion walked into the room.

Closing the door, she walked to her bed and sat on it. ' _I should still be able to go to my Dive, if I have my Keyblade out,_ ' she thought. Calling upon Fire of Shandora, she lied in bed, hid her Keyblade under the blanket, and closed her eyes.

* * *

 _ ***DIVE TO HEART***_

By some chance, she actually made it in her dive, standing in the middle of her white platform.

"Huh. Well what do you know?" she muttered out.

' ** _I'm surprised to see you here,_** ' came Voice. ' ** _I figured you'd rest as your brother suggested._** '

"After what happened back on Sky Island? How can I think about rest? And not to mention, back against Aokiji... Something happened back there. I don't remember what. Just that I was angry. Really, really angry. And then I blacked out and when I woke up, I found myself back on the ship. I don't know what that was, but I have to get stronger so that doesn't happen again. And as if it wasn't weird enough, whenever I ask the others about it, they acted weird around me. I can't say this is me being paranoid; something must've happened. And I intend to do whatever it takes to prevent it from happening again."

It was silent in the area. Xion was hoping that the one person who may be able to help her control this darkness in her would agree upon it. Even if she had to train in secret somehow, even if she had to go through possible life and death situations in her heart, if it can help her grow stronger for her friends, her crew, she'd do it.

' _ **... Very well. You've convinced me,**_ ' Voice told her. ' _ **But be warned. Choosing this path may backfire on you. What you want to suppress may grow stronger instead as you do. Even so, do you really want to try your luck?**_ '

"If it keeps the people I love safe, I'll do it," Xion answered, without any hint of hesitation in her voice.

She could've sworn she heard something like a scoff, before Voice answered, ' _ **All right then. Let's get to work.**_ ' As he said that, Shadow Heartless of different sizes appeared from the platform.

"Shadow Heartless again?" Xion asked.

' _ **Wait for it.**_ ' Just as Voice said that, she felt shaking and called upon her Keyblade, stabbing it on the floor to keep herself steady. Then, coming out from under the platform, was a large, black, humanoid Heartless with a heart-shaped hole.

"What is that?!" Xion asked Voice.

' _ **The Darkside. You can say this is the mother of these Shadow Heartless,**_ ' the Voice explained. ' _ **I'd be careful if I were you. This Heartless is not like the ones you've faced before.**_ '

"Clearly..." Xion muttered under her breath, especially as she saw how the Shadows all stood in her way of their leader. Removing Fire of Shandora from the platform, she charged into the fray.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the Going Merry in the real world, the crew, or at least those from the East Blue, thought back to their adventures with their ship, all thinking about the damages it sustained during their journey in the Grand Line.

As they spoke, Guthrie noticed someone missing amongst them. "Huh? Where's Xion?" he asked.

"She's resting up in the girl's bedroom," Allen answered. "Though she recovered from being frozen, her arms are still pretty sore. She's hoping some additional rest can help heal them up better."

"That so? And how much longer until her arms are perfectly recovered, Chopper?"

"Last I checked, they should be fully recovered by tomorrow," the doctor of the crew answered.

"That's good. The faster she recovers, the better," Chirithy said. "That being said, Guthrie-"

"Don't. Say it," the male Keyblade wielder interrupted, practically slamming his hand where the talking Dream Eater's mouth would be. A little too hard.

"Hey! That hurts!"

"I know. It should hurt. Because I do not want to hear those words in that specific order from that mouth." Guthrie squinted his eyes and looked closer to Chirithy's face. "If you even have one."

"What's that suppose to mean?! Of course I have a mouth!"

"Now, now guys," Allen tried to calm, getting in between Guthrie and Chirithy. "Let's not fight; we're all friends here, aren't we? Or is this how Blue Sea people act around friends? Then again, Sanji and Zoro would often get into fights too, and they seem to get along well."

The two said pirates heard what their newest member said and shouted, "Who's getting along with this piece of shit?!" Both turned to each other and demanded, "Who are you calling a piece of shit! You are! Quit copying me!" Cue the usual quarrel between them.

"Huh. I guess this is a normal for Blue Sea Dwellers," Allen said, as no one else was bothering to stop them.

Guthrie looked up, ahead of the ship, and saw something up ahead. "Hey! Is that the place?" he called. Everyone looked up at the island he spotted and were all excited to see they were nearing their destination.

"An island! We see an island!" Luffy happily cheered. "Okay, guys! Paddle!"

"We've got enough wind. Don't make us waste our energy," Sanji told him.

"Then someone go wake Xion! She has to see this!"

"I'll go get her," Robin said, walking to the their bedroom.

* * *

 _ ***XION'S DIVE***_

Meanwhile, back with Xion, the girl was having a troublesome time with the many variations of the Shadows. It wasn't that they were too strong for her, but every time she took a big one, it splits, and smaller versions of the Heartless appeared and counterattacked. To make things even worse and more annoying, the Darkside either continuously attacked from a distance with a homing energy shots from its hole, summon out more normal-sized Shadows, or make small, harmful orbs rain down.

' _ **How am I suppose to beat them all?!**_ ' she thought, as she was being surrounded by Heartless. An idea then came to her, one she should've realized by now. ' _ **Duh.**_ '

" **Thundaga!** " Xion made lightning rain down in the area, getting rid of all the Heartless. Well, all the Shadow Heartless that is. All that was left... was the Darkside. "You and me now!" She rushed in at the large Heartless.

The Darkside curled up its fingers in its right hand and raised its arm. After seeing it use its attacks a number of times, Xion knew it was going to summon out more Shadows, as well as cause another quake. Not only that, but she also knew how slow this Heartless was, and decided to use that to her advantage. As the Darkside slammed its fist down on the platform, Xion quickly jumped and landed on its arm, running up to its face.

" **Aerial Slam!** " She gave it a good smack in the head. " **Rising Strike!** " Next was a good uppercut of an attack. "And **Land Crash!** " As a finisher, she dove down at the Heartless's face, jabbing it in the nose, and forcing it to fall down.

Xion landed on the platform, turning to the trio of Shadows that were summoned. " **Stun Impact!** " Slamming Fire of Shandora down, she got rid of the Heartless.

The vice-captain of the Straw Hats panted at how hard she had fought in this dive. From this, she could tell that Voice really upped the power of these Heartless and couldn't help but feel a little happy. However, she knew that she had to do better than that.

Unfortunately, this wasn't over just yet. The Darkside shot back up and raised its arm once more. Xion turned, shocked to see it still around, as it brought its fist down once more. Before she could do anything to block the hit, though, the Heartless disappeared.

' _ **Let's leave it at that,**_ ' Voice said.

"What?! But I can still continue!" Xion said.

' _ **I'm not saying this because you can't. But as you are now, you can't get stronger.**_ ' The female Keyblade wielder couldn't believe what she was hearing. ' _ **You cannot get stronger if you keep using old tactics, old moves, old magic like you did. You experienced what happened the other day against that Admiral, right? You have to improve your strength, overcome your weakness, act like a true Keyblade wielder you are. You can't do that if you stick with old strategies.**_ '

"But then... What do I do?"

' _ **I think you know the answer to that. Now go. Your friends are waiting.**_ ' With that, Xion was returned to the original world.

* * *

When Xion opened her eyes, she found herself back in her room, in the same position as she was before.

"You're finally awake," came Robin's voice. Xion shot up at her voice. "Relax, Demon-san. It's only me."

Seeing that Robin was the only one here put Xion at ease. "Sorry about that, Robin. Just... had a strange dream," she lied.

"Was it now? I don't think I remember a time when you summoned a Keyblade in your sleep." Those words caused the Keyblade wielder to flinch, as she looked down and saw Fire of Shandora poking out of the blanket.

"I-! Uh..." The vice-captain tried to think of a lie to cover up the fact that she went and trained in her dive, but got nothing. "Please, don't tell anyone."

"It's fine. Secret is safe with me," Robin assured. "Besides, I think I can understand it. Hiding personal secrets for good intentions."

As much as she wanted to question what Robin meant by that, Xion knew better than to pry into it. Besides, if what Voice said was true, she kept her crew waiting long enough. Firstly, though...

"Let me change out of these clothes first."

* * *

After changing her clothes, Xion and Robin both exited out of the room.

"You sure took your time," Guthrie said.

"Sorry. But I wanted to change out of those clothes," Xion said. The female Keyblade wielder now wore a pink, zippered-up hoodie, black shorts, and long, black boots.

"Well, between those clothes and the sweats you wore earlier, I guess those are the more appropriate outdoor-in-public clothes."

Xion looked out in sea and saw the island they were heading to, Water 7. To her surprise, it was more of a city in the middle of the sea rather than an island, with a big fountain on top. "So that's Water 7... Looks amazing," she stated.

"Sure, but... What do those numbers mean?" Zoro asked.

It was then, everyone noticed the large numbers on some of the walls.

"Don't know," Usopp answered.

"Are those walls?" Sanji wondered.

"They look... kind of like garage doors," Guthrie said.

Everyone looked at him in confusion. "Garage?"

The male Keyblade wielder shook his head, forgetting that this world is not his home. "Nothing important," he told them.

"I bet those are entrances for the 5 meter shipwrights!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Like there's really a bunch of them!" Usopp shouted.

"I highly doubt those are doors. Maybe there's a deeper meaning to those numbers," Xion said.

"Like what?" Chopper asked.

"Don't know. They could be gates."

"The one up front has to be a station. The one that says 'Blue Station'," Nami said.

"If there's a station here, then where's a harbor?" Chirithy asked.

"Must be somewhere inside," Usopp guessed, seeing no sign of a harbor or a port anywhere.

"Hey, you guys!" a voice called. Everyone looked and saw a fisherman waving to them. "It's not good for you pirates to be openly sailing in the front! Go around the backstreets over there!"

They couldn't believe what they just heard. An innocent civilian, who knew full well that they were pirates, warned them of the dangers it could be for them to be out and about and directed them to a safer direction.

"... Uh, sure! Thanks for that!" Xion called back, as they went to the direction the fisherman spoke of.

"He seems like a nice guy. Pirates get this sort of treatment?" Allen asked.

"Not really. They're usually feared," Guthrie answered.

"I'm just hoping it's not another Whiskey Peak incident," Xion said, getting a de ja vu of when the crew arrived to their first island in the Grand Line.

A bit of sailing later, they arrived into the city, and were amazed at the sight of it.

"Whoa, this is amazing! This is the city of water?" Nami asked.

"Sure lives up to its name," Chirithy stated.

"Wow! This place is so cool! What a beautiful city!" Luffy exclaimed.

Everywhere around them, no matter where they look, they saw the beauty in Water 7. Everyone was in peace, living out their daily lives, and they see a lot of water flowing down certain slides from the city's fountain.

"But the city is flooded. The houses are submerged in the sea," Chopper said.

"That's not it. The city was designed with the base being submerged," Robin observed.

"She's right. Look underneath the buildings. Those are pillars," Guthrie pointed out.

"Wow... As expected of the Blue Sea," Allen said in awe.

"This may be the only island that can actually backup that claim. Especially with the name of the city of water," Xion told him.

"Hey! Hurry up and dock the ship!" Luffy ordered in excitement.

One civilian seemed to have heard the shout and informed, "Hey, hey, you guys! Pirate ships shouldn't come in here! What'd you come here for?! To plunder?!"

"No! We wanna get out ship repaired!" Luffy answered.

"Would people normally ask if we're here to plunder?" Usopp questioned.

"What's 'plunder'?" Allen asked.

"It means stealing goods, something a typical pirate crew would do," Guthrie answered. "Though Usopp asked a good question. No sane person would ask that, would they?"

"Not unless if they're used to seeing pirates on an everyday basis," Xion pointed out a possibility.

"There's a cape ahead of here! Anchor your ship there for now!" the civilian suggested them.

"Okay!" Nami replied.

"Thanks!" Luffy thanked.

"Again?" Usopp questioned, wondering why another innocent person helped them out.

"I'm really getting a sense of de ja vu here," Xion spoke out loud.

"With what?" Allen asked.

* * *

After some time of sailing, the crew made it to the cape the man spoke of.

"This area should be okay, don't you think?" Usopp said.

"In any case, what a dull place this is," Sanji stated.

"All right then! Furl the sail!" Luffy ordered.

With the anchor lowered, Zoro went to furl the sails. As he attempted to tighten the sails, the mast suddenly broke on him and tumbled over. This surprised everyone, as the swordsman quickly became a support of sort for the mast.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Usopp demanded.

"Nothing! I just pulled the rope!" the three-sword-stype swordsman said.

" **Zero Graviga!** " Xion canceled out the gravity on the ship, lightening the mast's weight on Zoro. "Hurry up and put it back!" At her command, Zoro, with Guthrie and Allen helping out, put the mast back in place.

"Holy crap. The Going Merry has gotten this rockety?" Zoro questioned.

"We really need to give her some upgrades when we find a shipwright," Guthrie said.

"But still, I wonder why the people on this island aren't scared of pirates," Nami voiced out her question.

"This island is a place filled with great shipwrights. Maybe we're not the first pirates who come here for repairs," Chirithy assumed.

"But even so, the people wouldn't be this casual about us. Not all pirates are like us after all," Xion pointed out.

"Maybe they have bodyguards strong enough to deal with pirates who cause a ruckus," Robin guessed.

"They probably do, considering this city's size," Sanji agreed.

"Really?! Hey, what're we going to do?! This is bad!" Usopp panicked.

"Relax! If what Robin says is true, I'm pretty sure it's only if we cause trouble. And we. Do. Not. Want. Trouble," Xion said, specifically directing those last few words at a certain troublemaker on Going Merry.

"Why are you looking at me?" Luffy asked.

"Besides, we're customers here. Nothing's gonna happen," Sanji supported the female Keyblade wielder's claim.

"If you think so..." Usopp said.

"Okay, then! See you later!" With Luffy's farewell, he and Usopp immediately jumped off the ship and rushed back to the city.

"Wait, Luffy! Usopp!" Nami called, getting the two's attention. "I want you guys to come with me."

"Huh? To where?" Usopp asked.

"First, we'll take the reference letter from Kokoro-san and find a man named Iceberg. We'll ask him to help us arrange the ship's repairs. We also have to find a place where we can cash in our gold."

"I see... All right, then! Anyway, let's go! To the city of water!" Luffy said, continuing to the door... empty-handed.

"You forgot the gold."

After getting the gold, the trio walked back to the city of water.

"Be careful, Nami-san!" Sanji waved.

"Ahh... I somehow missed the chance to go with them," Chopper sighed.

"Let's go out together later," Robin told him.

"Really?! I wonder if they have a bookstore."

"I'm sure they do."

"We should go too," Xion said, referring to herself and Allen. "We need to get you some clothes after all."

"Can we make some stops along the way? I saw some really interesting things on the way here," he asked.

Xion wanted to deny that, but from what she saw, the town was as peaceful as can be. She didn't sense any malice or hidden intention from anyone like she did in Whiskey Peak. This may actually be a pirate-accepting island, in a way. Plus, Allen was her friend, and this is his first time on a habited island in the Blue Sea. Not to mention, of what she remembered, Allen's only source of entertainment and enjoyment was through his dancing. She should let him enjoy himself while they can. "Sure we can," she answered. "Let's go. Oh! But first..." She looked down at Allen's bare feet.

* * *

After finding him a pair of shoes, a pair of Guthrie's white shoes that he was willing to lend the Shandian, Xion and Allen took their leave.

"We'll be back soon!" the former called to the others.

As the rest of the Straw Hats waved, Chirithy looked and saw Guthrie not at all making a move to follow after the duo. Even after their conversation that night, he had hoped the male Keyblade Wielder would do his job. Some wishful thinking on his part.

"Hold up! Let me come with you!" the Dream Eater said, poofing himself on Allen's head, much to the surprise of others.

"Is it okay for him to go?" Zoro asked.

"He's not my responsibility. He's free to make his own decision," Guthrie said. "Besides, he's got Xion with him. She'll keep him safe if something goes wrong."

The guys, who didn't know of their argument, agreed with their counselor left the situation at that, while Robin looked at Guthrie with a sad look in her eyes. She knew why Guthrie was acting the way he was, and she really didn't want to be the reason why he and Chirithy are, most likely, going to split, if they don't reconcile with each other. But what can she say that could make him make up with his partner?


	6. Adventure, Abduction, and Raid

**To those of you who skipped to this chapter the moment you saw it was updated in your 'Favorite Stories' list, STOP! This is a double update! Meaning, there are not one, but TWO new chapters to read! Before you read this chapter, please go to the previous one, now!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"We should go too," Xion said, referring to herself and Allen. "We need to get you some clothes after all."_

 _"Can we make some stops along the way? I saw some really interesting things on the way here," he asked._

 _Xion wanted to deny that, but from what she saw, the town was as peaceful as can be. She didn't sense any malice or hidden intention from anyone like she did in Whiskey Peak. This may actually be a pirate-accepting island, in a way. Plus, Allen was her friend, and this is his first time on a habited island in the Blue Sea. Not to mention, of what she remembered, Allen's only source of entertainment and enjoyment was through his dancing. She should let him enjoy himself while they can. "Sure we can," she answered. "Let's go."_

 _With that, the two jumped off the ship and walked. "We'll be back soon!" Xion called to the others._

 _"Hold up! Let me come with you!" the Dream Eater said, poofing himself on Allen's head, much to the surprise of others._

 _"Is it okay for him to go?" Zoro asked._

 _"He's not my responsibility. He's free to make his own decision," Guthrie said. "Besides, he's got Xion with him. She'll keep him safe if something goes wrong."_

* * *

After they left the ship, Xion, Allen, and Chirithy walked to a rental shop of sort, one that rents out bulls.

"Rental Bull Shop?" Xion wondered.

"What's a 'bull'?" Allen asked.

"To say it in simpler terms, an land animal that shouldn't fit in the environment of the city of water," Chirithy answered, not sure how exactly he can describe what a bull is.

"Really? Then why is there a rental shop for them?"

"Only one way to find out," Xion said, walking inside the store with the boys following her. "Excuse me! Is anyone here?"

"I'll be right there!" a voice called out.

The trio looked around the building, finding it to be just a normal shop.

"Sorry for the wait," the same voice they heard earlier apologized, as a man walked to the front. "Had some customers to deal with."

"It's fine," Xion assured. "We're new around here, and we saw that this is the only entrance to the city from the cape."

"Hm? Are you with the three that were here earlier?"

"Yeah. But they kind of just went on ahead of us."

"I see. I guess that means you don't know what sort of bulls we have here, right?" the shop owner guessed. "There are three different kinds of bulls here; Yagara, Rabuka, and King Bulls. For two people and a cat, one Yagara Bull should do for B1,000."

"I'm not a cat!" Chirithy shouted, knowing the guy thought of him as one.

"Whoa! And a talking one at that! That's really rare!"

"Like I said, I'm not a cat!"

"For showing me such a sight, for you guys, I'll lower the price to B900."

"Whoa, really?! That's really nice of you!" Allen exclaimed.

"Don't ignore me!" Chirithy cried out.

"Now, now, Chirithy," Xion calmed. "But mister, what are bulls? Or rather, what do they look like? I thought they're land animals."

"Oh no. Our bulls are not those kind. Come with me to the back," the owner said, leading the trio to the back of the shop.

There, Xion and the boys saw what seemed like horse-like fish swimming in a large fish pen.

"These are bulls?!" Chirithy gasped in shock. This species is far different from the ones he saw in Guthrie's home world.

"Whoa! These guys look cool!" Allen stated.

' _ **Whoa, more customers,**_ ' a Yagara Bull spoke, which only Xion can understand.

"These guys are Yagara Bulls, the main mode of transportation in Water 7. As you know, there are more canals than walkways, so these guys are necessary means of transportation to the residents here. You'll see these guys everywhere on this island. Pick out any Yagara Bull from the pen. And if you want, you can try riding it. They're really comfortable. I'll get you two a boat."

' _ **Don't worry. We Bulls make sure our passengers, families, and customers get an enjoyable ride in Water 7,**_ ' Xion heard a Yagara say.

"I'll take your word for it," she said. "Now... Which one of you...?"

"Xion. How about that black one? It's been looking at us for quite a while now," Allen said, pointing at the bull in question.

"It looks nice enough," Chirithy agreed.

"Then I guess it's that one," Xion decided.

After the owner returned with a boat, he set it in the water and opened a gate, allowing the chosen Yagara Bull to swim out of the pen and to the boat, positioning its body under it so the owner can strap the boat on its back.

"You sure one is enough? We're going to shop around for some things too," Allen asked him.

"Of course. Their power is incredible! You can even use them for moving," the owner answered.

"You said there are three types of Bulls. What are the other two like?"

"Rabuka Bulls are much larger than Yagara, and they look like they're violent beasts, kind of like a Sea King. But I assure you; Rabuka are as gentle as the Yagara. As for the King Bulls, they're practically bigger version of the Yagara, but smaller than the Rabuka, and they can carry heavy loads around."

' _Bigger than Yagara, but smaller than Rabuka? Aren't kings suppose to be the biggest in size in terms of species?_ ' Chirithy wondered.

"You wouldn't happen to know where a shopping district would be, do you? Or any place that sells clothes for that matter?" Xion asked the owner.

"There are plenty in the southern district down that way," the owner pointed. "Your friends who were here earlier went in that direction to exchange your gold for money and to the shipyard. I'm guessing to find a shipwright to fix your ship."

Hearing one part of that got the trio to look at him funny. "How did you know about the gold part?" the vice-captain asked.

"One of your friend had a large bag of gold. I thought he was joking about it until he showed the inside to me."

It didn't take long for them to know that he was speaking about Luffy.

' _Does he not know how to keep a secret of any kind?!_ ' Xion and Chirithy thought.

' _Even I wouldn't just casually show a bag of gold to anyone. Not after knowing their value in this sea,_ ' Allen thought.

"Oh! And before I forget, here's a map for your kids." The owner took out a map from his person and handed it to Allen. "That should help you get around better."

"Whoa, thanks!" the Shandian thanked. He turned to the Yagara and the boat and asked Xion, "You want the front or back seat?"

"I'll go in front. You don't have much experience in riding animals, right? And I doubt that snake would count," she answered, paying the owner the owned belli and getting some change for it.

"True that." The two pirates got on the boat, while Chirithy jumped on Xion's lap.

"Well, guess it's time to go," Chirithy said.

"Have fun, you guys!" the owner waved. "Thanks for your business and take care!"

"Thanks! Okay, let's go!"

' _ **Leave it to me!**_ ' the black Yagara spoke, swimming off in town.

* * *

After some time of traveling and being greeted by some of the people in town, the group had arrived at the Shopping District.

"They have a lot of stalls here," Allen noted. "Looking and smelling all these food is making me hungry..."

' _ **What's this? You're hungry, you say?**_ ' their Yagara asked. Before Xion can correct him, he suddenly swam to one stall.

"Whoa! What's gotten into this one?!" Chirithy asked in shock.

It stopped at one stall selling meat.

"Welcome! What would you like, dear customers?" a saleswoman asked.

"Oh. I guess it was hungry," Allen said, misunderstanding the Yagara's intention.

' _ **Water-water meat. The best food in town,**_ ' it informed.

"Water-water meat is the Yagara's favorite food, even though it's for humans," the saleswoman informed.

"Is that so? Then I'll take four please," Xion ordered.

"Coming right up."

"Is it really that good though? I mean, it's soaked in water," Chirithy asked.

"You bet it is. They're so good, cooks from gourmet towns would come here to secretly purchase them. They captivate both your body and your soul." She handed them four wet, juicy looking drumsticks, with Xion paying for the meal.

Handing one of the four to their ride, the two humans and one Dream Eater took a bite of the meat... and were instantly in love with the taste and flavor.

"Whoa! They're so soft and juicy!" Allen stated.

"Yeah! They're better than I thought!" Chirithy agreed.

' _ **Delicious, aren't they?**_ ' the black Yagara said.

"If Sanji knows about this, he'll definitely do whatever he can to replicate this somehow. Especially if Luffy is demanding for it," Xion said. "Oh! By the way, do you know where a clothing store would be around here? And would you also happen to know if there's one that can make custom clothes?"

"There are plenty of stores down that path. For custom order clothing, just look for a store with a shirt on top that says 'CC'. That's the shop you're looking for," the saleswoman answered.

"Okay. Thank you. Let's go, Yagara-san." With that, the black bull took its passengers down the designated path.

* * *

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Water 7, Robin, Guthrie, and Chopper, in his reindeer form, were also walking around in the city of water.

"According to this map, we're in the backstreet shopping district," Robin informed.

"A place this lively is the backstreet?" Chopper questioned.

"If this is the backstreet, then what does a normal one look like here?" Guthrie wondered, as they started to walk around. "Good thing they have places you two can walk around in. If this city doesn't have a walkway, you both and Luffy would be in danger here."

"Yeah."

"The water is clear, and the town is beautiful," Robin stated.

"Yeah." Chopper caught sight of something and freaked out. "Scary!"

"Huh?" Guthrie looked where the Zoan-type Devil Fruit user was looking and saw someone in expensive-looking clothes wearing a white mask. "That's just a mask, Chopper."

"A mask? Oh. I thought it was just a weird face."

"Well, some masks do look like real faces..."

"Wow!"

"What a beautiful lady!"

The male Keyblade wielder turned his attention at those two voices and saw a few guys swooning over the sight of Robin.

"Such beauty hasn't been seen for the last 100 years!" an elder exclaimed.

Seeing this made Chopper and Guthrie sweat drop. ' _This place is full of Sanjis..._ ' both thought.

The latter looked around their surroundings and couldn't help but notice a number of people, and a few Yagara, wearing masks. "I wonder if there's an event going on. A lot of people here are wearing masks," he said.

"As a matter of fact, it sounds like they're holding a costume carnival every day now on San Faldo, an island you can get to by a sea train," Robin informed.

"Huh? How do you know that?" Chopper asked.

"People walking by are talking about it."

"You must have really sharp ears to pick up on those before Chopper," Guthrie said in awe.

"It's a habit. Since my childhood, I've lived by trying to judge people's feelings and listening in on them."

"Wow... That's amazing, Robin!" Chopper exclaimed.

While he thought so, there were a couple of people who thought otherwise. One of them was Robin, and the other was Guthrie. Although he was amazed with her ability, it also meant she had been living in fear and distrust.

"Hey, boys. There's a bookstore over there," Robin informed.

"Really?!" Chopper asked, shooting over to the entrance of the store. "Can we go in?!"

"That's fast!" Guthrie exclaimed in shock.

"Of course. Let's go in," Robin answered the doc.

"All right!" Without another word, he rushed right in.

"Whoa, wait! Chopper!" Guthrie ran after him in the store.

Robin couldn't help but smile and chuckle at the sight, as she walked after them. As she was passing one person, she sensed something about them. "CP9..." Her world stopped when she heard that from the person. It may not be of much importance to many people in more ways than one, but to her? It meant everything... in negative ways. She turned, hoping she heard wrong, only to find the person she passed disappear.

* * *

"You can't just rush on ahead like that, Chopper," Guthrie scolded the doc.

"Sorry," Chopper apologized in his Heavy Point form, looking at some medical books.

"My, what a cool mask!" came an elderly voice. The two turned and saw an elderly woman looking at the two, more specifically Chopper. "What are you dressed up as?"

"W-Well... A human reindeer," Chopper answered.

The woman simply giggled at the response. "If you're having fun, that's all that matters."

Both members of the Straw Hat pirates nervously chuckled, especially since Chopper is not really wearing a mask. It was then, they realized they were missing someone.

"Huh? Where's Robin?" the doctor asked.

"Let's check outside," Guthrie suggested.

They walked out the store and looked around. For some reason, though, they saw no sign of their archeologist member.

"Robin?" Chopper called.

"Hey! Robin!" Guthrie called louder.

Sadly, there was no response.

"Where did she go?"

* * *

After finally reaching the designated clothing store, Xion and Guthrie parked their Yagara by the walkway, with Chirithy staying behind as guard of sort. Once the two entered the building, Xion called out for assistance, in which the owner of the shop had responded to. Once he approached them and lent his assistance, Xion and Allen both requested some clothes that could fit the Shandian, both in size and for his wings. At first the owner was intrigued with the wings, thinking they were just decorations of sort, until he tried to pull them off Allen. It was then the man was convinced those wings were real.

"I see. So comfortable clothes you can easily move around in with sleeves for wings..." the tailor muttered out.

"Is it possible?" Xion asked.

"'Is it possible,' she asks. You're basically asking me to just add in sleeves to the back. Of course it's possible. Although the only ones I can stitch up sleeves for are just vests like your friend is already wearing and tank tops. If you'd like for me to make some more clothes for him, it'll take me some time. You two just arrived to this island, correct?"

"By ship," Allen answered.

"I see. So you're pirates. Don't look like our usual ones though. Well, in any case, if that's true, then you two should have plenty of time before the log resets itself. That'll be more than enough time for me to make those clothes. The log is one week. Come back by then. For now, the vests and tops. Give me several minutes. You can wonder around the block if you'd like."

Hearing their order was going to be processed brought joy to the two pirates. "Thanks so much!" Allen thanked.

"Too early for thank-yous. Now let me be in my work room. In the mean time, you two lovers go have fun." Without another word, the tailor walked past some flaps to another room.

The last part he said caught both Xion and Allen's attention. Both processed through those words in their head and blushed.

"Wait, we're not a couple!" both exclaimed.

"Sure you aren't~ Oh hohohoho~!" the tailor laughed.

Both Xion and Allen looked at each other, blushed lightly, and looked away in embarrassment.

"Xion! Allen! We've got trouble!" came Chirithy's voice.

The two went out at the call, equally concerned.

"Chirithy? What's wrong?" Xion asked.

"I-It's Usopp!" the talking Dream Eater spoke. "Usopp's in trouble!"

"Usopp?"

"Just come on!" He rushed to one direction, prompting the other two to follow.

* * *

After exiting the shopping district, they found themselves at an empty part of the city.

"What?! Usopp was right here!" Chirithy exclaimed.

"Just calm down. You haven't really explained to us what's going on," Allen told him.

"Yeah. And what's wrong with Usopp? Last I checked, he's with Nami and Luffy. And they should be at that shipyard by now."

"That's what's weird! He should be, but instead, I saw him here and beaten!"

Xion and Allen were both shocked to hear that. "What?!"

"But then... where is he?" the former asked, looking around.

The Shandian of the two also looked around for their sniper friend and saw something at a distance. "Hey! Look at this!" He rushed to what he saw, with the Keyblade wielder and the Dream Eater following him.

The three bent down to what seemed like a trail of dripping, dried, liquidy substance.

"Is that...?" Xion spoke, not wanting to finish that question.

"He was bleeding badly..." Chirithy recalled.

"You don't think... he moved himself to that direction, do you?" Allen asked.

"There's only one way to find out. Hopefully, that's not the case. Come on!" At the order of the vice-captain, the trio followed the trail of blood.

* * *

After some time of following the blood trail, the trio arrived at a rocky cape, just north of their ship. Up ahead of them was what seemed like an odd workshop of sort called the Franky House. Allen heard what sounded like a door opening, hastily grabbed Xion and Chirithy, and hid them behind a rock.

"Allen?" the vice captain gasped.

"What are you-?" Allen covered Chirithy's mouth.

"Shh," he shushed. The boy pointed up on the other side of the rock, in which both his crewmates understood.

The trio looked over the rock. To their shock, they saw a big guy toss someone out of the building. As the guy walked back in, they hurried to the fallen boy, one they know so well.

"Usopp!" Allen gasped in shock.

Their long-nose friend was covered in blood, bruises, and shoe marks. Chirithy took a good look at him.

"He's still alive. But why is he beaten and bruised like this?" Chirithy questioned. "Just what happened, Usopp?!"

Looking at him in his condition, something in Xion slowly snapped. Her fist slowly clenched, her eyes glaring, and her teeth gritting.

Allen noticed this and grabbed her hand. "Xion! Calm down. It's okay."

"No, it's not," Xion said. "They're going to pay. Dearly." She walked towards the Franky House. "Chirithy, watch over Usopp."

"What? But what about-?"

"That's an order from your vice-captain. You better follow through it."

Chirithy just watched as Xion continued on to the building, not believing what the girl was going to do. It annoys him even more that Guthrie wasn't around to do something about it.

As Xion approached the building, she looked to the side and saw Allen walking next to her. "You didn't give me any order. And besides, like I said, I'll always be there for you."

"Wasn't that just when and if the Organization comes after me?" Xion asked.

"Well yes, but still. I'm not letting you go through this alone. Besides, Usopp's my friend, too. And he made me something that I'd like to try out. What better to test it out than here and now?"

Seeing reason in his words, the female Keyblade wielder simply sighed and had a small smile on her face. "Very well."

Once they got to the door, Xion gave the door a good knocking. Seconds later, the guy that tossed Usopp out answered the door.

"Huh? Who the hell are-?" the guy stopped himself when he saw who were at the door. "Well, if it isn't the vice captain of that useless pirate's crew. What brings you here? revenge for that puny friend or are you also here for that two hundred million belli we got from you?"

' _Well, now we know why Usopp is all bloodied up,_ ' Allen thought.

"Oh... Is that why my friend there is beaten the way he is?" Xion asked, pointing at the downed sniper.

"Yeah. And what about it? You want to get revenge? He didn't beat him up too bad that he'd die. You might still save him... if you give us your 98 million head!" The guy took out a sword and swung it down at Xion.

The female Keyblade wielder simply sidestepped out of the way, called upon Fire of Shandora, and smacked the guy away to the other side of the building... hard.

This caught the attention of the other guys in the room, all who turned to their fallen comrade to the front door.

"Whoa! What just happened?!" one of them gasped.

"Who the hell are you guys?!" another one demanded.

"T-That's... Starlight Blade Xion!" another identified.

Many of them were shocked to see that the vice captain of the crew they stole arrived at their doorstep. And right after they had beaten one of her crew members too.

One big, brave soul simply laughed at the situation they were in. "So, you came to get the money back, you fools?" he questioned, boosting the other's confidence. "See all the guys here? What's two people going to do against us? Then again, one of you have a bounty on your head. And a female at that." The mention of the second part specifically got the guys a little more excited. "Why don't one of you just leave while the other stays?"

One guy, one with spiky hair, laughed as he realized one thing. "She's only the vice captain of that weak long nose guy," he said.

"Yeah. She can't be that strong," chuckled another guy.

"And look at that weapon in her hand," spoke another. "It's just a plant with a bell attached to it. It's nothing special at all."

The big guy that boosted everyone's confidence stopped right in front of Xion and Allen. "So? What's it gonna be, short stuff?"

Xion simply got into battle position. "I was told by my master that I should try something different. Looks like I found a good spot to do that," she said.

Allen heard what she said and grew somewhat concerned. "Master?"

It was then, something was being gathered around Xion and her Keyblade. That something... being wind. " **Wind Sweep!** " To the shock of many in the room, minus Allen, Xion unleashed a powerful, jumping spin attack, strong enough to even force the big, overconfident guy into the air.

"Wha-?!"

Before he could fully process what was going on, Xion continued her assault. " **Thunder Dash!** " In mid air, she dashed herself towards her opponent, striking him hard with her lightning-cloaked Keyblade. " **Blizzard Slam!** " Following it up was a good, ice-cloaked attack over the head, slamming the guy down to the ground. The slam caused a crater to form where the guy was knocked into, as Xion landed on him and pointed her Keyblade right at his face. " **Firaga Burst!** " Right then and there, Xion fired a powerful burst of flames at the poor guy, causing an explosion to form and sending him flying out of the building through the back, thus creating a large hole in the wall.

This surprised each and everyone of the other residents of Franky House.

"N-No way!"

"That girl... She knocked away one of our biggest members! Twice!"

"And one of them have a tough armor too and yet! Look at it!"

True to the last guy's words, the armor the guy Xion defeated had on was filled with cracks and holes.

"W-Wait! Wait a second, guys! Let's have a talk first!" the spiky-haired guy shouted out. "Let's just... Let's just... Let's... Let's fire the cannonballs!" At that command, a set of cannons appeared behind the group of guys and fired some cannonballs at Xion and Allen.

This time, the Shandian rushed forward, putting on a pair of gloves. He put his arms up... and wordlessly caught each ball like they were only tossed softballs, setting them all aside.

The people of Franky House couldn't believe how easily he stopped those balls the way he did.

"Hey wait! Those balls are made of iron!" the spiky-haired guy exclaimed.

" **Rising Rush!** " Not caring at all what he said, Xion went and charged through them, attacking not the opponents themselves, but the cannons, as she knocked them all into the air. " **Magnega!** " She followed it up with a spell that forced the dented cannons to come together. " **Collision Magnet!** " With a strand of light shooting out of her Keyblade to the welded iron, she used it as a mace and chain weapon and spun it around, hitting and knocking over each and every one of the guys around her.

"She's using the cannon against us! Literally!" one guy cried out, while everyone else did what they could to avoid the attack.

"Bad news! That girl's bounty is no joke at all!" another shouted.

"Let's get out of here! Through the back door!" At the suggestion of another man, the group rushed to the door in the back.

Sadly for them, Allen jumped in their way. "Now, now. You can't just leave. Not when you guys started this party. Besides, I have something to give back to you. **Impact Thunder Clap!** " Clapping his hands together, he unleashed all the impacts he had absorbed into both gloves, or rather the Impact Dial hidden within them, and created a huge shockwave that forced the poor group of men back. The Shandian then grabbed a dropped sword and struck down the ones that weren't blown away from the blast. One attempted to fight back, but Allen easily disarmed him and gave him a nasty cut.

"W-We can't use the backdoor!" a Franky House resident exclaimed in fear, recovering from the Impact Thunder Clap.

"The windows! There's still the windows!" another resident shouted.

Not willing to let a single one escape, Xion took out some back-up. " **Summon: Me Me Bunny, Thunderaffe, and, our newest member, Escarglow.** " Appearing from them were Mimi, Idaten, and a red snail-like Dream Eater with a rainbow-colored shell, about the same size as Mimi. "Don't let them escape!"

They didn't need her to tell them twice, for the trio of Dream Eaters all sent those closest to the windows flying back to the center of the room. Mimi using her martial arts skills; Idaten conjuring up some barriers to trap some 'victims' and ramming into them or kicking them away like giant pinballs; and as for the Escarglow, despite its looks, it was quite the fighter itself, especially with how it cancelled the gravity around the enemies and rolled into them, inflicting some heavy damage.

Seeing their power frightened the spiky-haired guy. "W-Wait a second here!" he spoke to Xion. "The money, right?! You want the money back, right?! The 200 million Bellies that worthless guy had, right? Unfortunately, the money is no longer here. Our boss, Franky, took that money and went shopping. Since he's buying something on the black market, we don't know where he went. In short, no matter how much you go on a rampage here, that 200 million Bellies won't-"

"Are you done?" Xion asked, her voice slowly changing, in which only Allen noticed, especially with how her Dream Eaters were reacting.

' _Oh, no no no,_ ' he thought in fear.

"Let me say two things. One: I don't know anything about the 200 million, but I have a good guess where that money is coming from. You guys think you're so smart to steal from pirates? You stole from the wrong crew. And two: Allen and I never came here for the money. We came... because of what you did and said about our friend." Slowly, but surely, Xion's eyes were changing color, and the dark wisps were appearing from her body. "And now... you will pay! **Brutal Blast!** " She got to the guy's face and unleashed a shockwave that caused him to be knocked into the air and performed a spinning attack, sending him flying to a wall.

"Ahh! Zambai!" one of the henchmen cried out in worry.

"I'll beat each and every one of you up so hard, not even your bones will remain!" Xion declared.

That declaration frightened the remaining opponents.

"Not even our bones?!" one of them gasped.

"You idiot! Don't get frightened!" shouted one remaining brave soul. "'Not even your bones will remain' is what we, the Franky Family, demolition workers and bounty hunters, say! Show them the Franky House special!"

Before that said special can be revealed, however, the dark aura completely covered Xion, as she charged them all, with some being sent flying by the sheer strength of the attack.

Allen knew he had to stop this, but at the moment, the Franky Family were still a danger to them. Plus, Xion wasn't losing herself like she did before, as he could see from the Dream Eaters. At least, he hoped she wasn't. And all he could do now, besides assist her and her Dream Eaters in defeating the group, was believe in his friend.

* * *

The battle lasted for quite a while, but in the end, Xion, Allen, and the Dream Eaters emerged victorious. Around them was the rubble of the destroyed Franky House and the defeated and unconscious Franky Family. Xion's Dream Eaters had already been returned to their cards.

"Xion! Allen!" a familiar voice came.

Allen turned and saw Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Guthrie, and Chopper rushing to their direction.

"What the hell happened here?" Sanji questioned, seeing the destructive damage caused at the house.

"Take a guess," was all Allen was going to answer.

Zoro saw him sitting on top of a rubble, with Xion leaning on his shoulder, asleep. "She's sleeping at a time like this?"

"She kind of did the most damage. And used up too much of her energy it seemed, especially with her magic," Allen said.

What he had told... was but a sliver of the truth; after destroying the Franky Family and their house, Xion was still going on a rampage, with her Dream Eaters joining her. Allen managed to land a well timed chop to the back of her neck and knock her out. Not only did doing so cause the wisps to disappear again, but her Dream Eaters were also fallen unconscious, in which he quickly attempted to return them to their cards right after.

"But wait. Where's Usopp?" Chopper asked.

"Isn't Chirithy also with you two?" Guthrie also asked.

"We're right here!" came the talking Dream Eater's voice.

Everyone turned and saw the little guy hiding himself and Usopp behind a nearby boulder where it was safe. Instantly, Chopper went to his doctor mode and gave Usopp a checkup on his condition as well as treated his wounds.

"So if you guys are here, I assume that means you know about the situation," Sanji said.

"We actually didn't know until we got here," Allen answered sadly. "And with how much time we wasted, there's a good chance the 200 million is gone by now. Especially when none of these guys know where their boss is, who has our money."

"What do we do now?" Zoro questioned. "Even if we wait, something tells me he won't be back for a while."

"I suggest returning to the ship. We have a member in need of healing after all," Guthrie said, looking at Chopper still tending to Usopp's wounds.

"True. And besides, staying here talking won't get us anywhere," Sanji agreed. "We even left Nami on the ship, too. And there's also that thing with Robin-chan to deal with..."

"Let's not forget we also have to think about what to do with Merry."

"Yeah." With that plan set, Zoro helped Chopper carry Usopp back to the ship, with Guthrie, Sanji, and Chirithy following. Allen got Xion on his back and followed after them. One person didn't move from his spot. Rather, instead of also walking back, he suddenly sat there, with a serious look on his face. This caused everyone else to stop and look at him.

"Luffy?" Allen asked. "What's wrong?"

"... About the ship..." he spoke, grabbing their attention and confusion. "... I've decided. Let's say goodbye... to the Going Merry here."


	7. The Big Fight Between Men's Pride

**The release of KH3 made me want to do another update of this story~ It is so good, and at the same time a tad bit confusing. Okay, maybe a lot confusing near the end. So many questions to ask! But, I will hold them off just a little longer, as it is still the release week, and I highly doubt everyone even finished all the worlds before the big save. Those of you who did, you know what I mean by that. I know that you know.**

 **So, that said, let's start this long, heartbreaking chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)_**  
 _(Xion & Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion & Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami & Ussop are replaced by Zoro & Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion & Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen & Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days**_  
 _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire**_  
 _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy & Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!**_  
 _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet**_  
 _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere**_  
 _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin & Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward**_  
 _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly**_  
 _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly**_  
 _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Chirithy? What's wrong?" Xion asked._

 _"I-It's Usopp!" the talking Dream Eater spoke. "Usopp's in trouble!"_

 _"Usopp?"_

 _"Just come on!" He rushed to one direction, prompting the other two to follow._

* * *

 _After exiting the shopping district, they found themselves at an empty part of the city._

 _"What?! Usopp was right here!" Chirithy exclaimed. "I saw him here and beaten!"_

 _"Hey! Look at this!" The Shandian rushed to what he saw, with the Keyblade wielder and the Dream Eater following him._

 _"Is that...?" Xion spoke, not wanting to finish that question._

 _"You don't think... he moved himself to that direction, do you?" Allen asked._

* * *

 _Their long-nose friend was covered in blood, bruises, and shoe marks._

 _Looking at him in his condition, something in Xion slowly snapped. Her fist slowly clenched, her eyes glaring, and her teeth gritting._

 _Once they got to the door, Xion gave the door a good knocking. Seconds later, the guy that tossed Usopp out answered the door._

 _"Huh? Who the hell are-?" the guy stopped himself when he saw who were at the door._

 _The female Keyblade wielder called upon Fire of Shandora, and smacked the guy away to the other side of the building... hard._

 _"W-Wait a second here!" Zambai spoke to Xion. "The money, right?! You want the money back, right?! The 200 million Bellies that worthless guy had, right? Unfortunately, the money is no longer here. Our boss, Franky, took that money and went shopping. Since he's buying something on the black market, we don't know where he went. In short, no matter how much you go on a rampage here, that 200 million Bellies won't-"_

 _" **Brutal Blast!** " She got to the guy's face and unleashed a shockwave that caused him to be knocked into the air and performed a spinning attack, sending him flying to a wall._

 _"Ahh! Zambai!" one of the henchmen cried out in worry._

* * *

 _The battle lasted for quite a while, but in the end, Xion, Allen, and the Dream Eaters emerged victorious. Around them was the rubble of the destroyed Franky House and the defeated and unconscious Franky Family. Xion's Dream Eaters had already been returned to their cards._

 _"Xion! Allen!" a familiar voice came._

 _Allen turned and saw Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Guthrie, and Chopper rushing to their direction._

 _"... About the ship..." the captain spoke, grabbing their attention and confusion. "... I've decided. Let's say goodbye... to the Going Merry here."_

* * *

' _Where... Where am I...? What... happened to me...?_ ' Those were the first thoughts in Xion's mind.

The female Keyblade wielder felt herself floating off in the middle of space. No, not space. She couldn't feel, she couldn't see, she couldn't hear, she couldn't even move a finger. All she knew was that she was somewhere... in nothingness.

" _...next day...go to the..._ " She faintly heard a voice speak. However, the voice was so faint, she could barely make out any words from it.

" _...She's not an..._ " Another voice was heard. But like the first, she couldn't hear it all that well.

" _...cannot afford...on you...mistake we never..._ "

" _...Take some time...who needs..._ "

" _...you return...you will disa-..._ "

She heard many voices, all that sounded so faint, she couldn't make out what they were saying exactly... All except one.

" _If only things could stay like this forever..._ " That was her voice, and it sounded so sad.

" _ **You weren't meant to exist,**_ " she then heard. The girl then felt herself getting pulled down. Slowly opening her eyes, Xion found herself getting pulled towards what seemed like a swarm of what seemed like Heartless and called upon her Keyblade.

When she attempted to do so, however, it didn't appear in her hand. The female Keyblade wielder widened her eyes in shock, as she felt the group of odd, shadowy Heartless jump on her, grabbing her, and pulling her down towards them. Xion tried to break free from their hold, but felt weaker by the second. Then, looking down below, she saw a pair of what seemed like glowing red eyes and a wicked, toothy smile, with the teeth being sharp. The mouth then opened up, revealing a large set of rotating teeth. This frightened her, as she struggled to get the Heartless off her. Unfortunately, she was slowly still being dragged over to the mouth, and soon enough, it clamped down on her.

* * *

It was then, Xion shot up in fright, letting out a small scream from her nightmare.

"Xion! Are you okay?!" came Allen's voice.

Xion turned and saw the Shandian sitting on a chair by her bedside.

"Allen... What-?" She looked around and found herself in the med bay of Going Merry. "How did I end up back here?"

"You kind of passed out at Franky House. My guess is you haven't really fully recovered from your fight against Larxene back at Skypiea."

"I see..." Xion looked down at the explanation.

' _All the more reason to keep training,_ ' she thought to herself.

"But that was quite a scream you let out," Allen added. "Did you have a nightmare? You seem kind of pale."

"Do I?" Xion asked, despite knowing what he meant. "Yeah, I guess I had a bad dream."

Allen sat by her side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Xion stayed silent, wondering if she should tell him of her dream. How real it felt, the fear she experienced, how she felt like she was about to die. Wait. Speaking of dying...

"What happened to Usopp?" she asked.

"Chopper patched him up. He'll be fine," Allen answered.

"I see. And what about Going Merry? Did Luffy, Nami and Usopp find someone who can fix her before Usopp got like that? And did the gold give us enough money for the repairs?"

The dancer of a pirate went silent at the question, which worried the vice captain.

"The money and the repairs are why Usopp is like that," he spoke at last. "The gold made up 300,000,000 belli, two-thirds of it that got stolen by those guys we fought earlier."

Hearing that surprised Xion, before she mentally pieced together what that Zambai guy said. "So that was what he meant by the 200,000,000 money."

"Yeah... Not like it matters, even if we do get it back." The female Keyblade wielder looked to her friend in confusion. "Luffy decided... to let her go here." The confusion changed into shock.

"Let Merry go? Is the repair that expensive?!" she asked.

Allen shook his head in response. "I don't know much about ship, but Nami and Luffy both said that the shipwright that came to take a look at our ship said something about the keel being damaged. Because of that, even if they do repair Merry, she won't make it to the next island."

Xion understood the explanation. After all the adventure they had, especially to and from Skypiea, the vice suspected that the adventure was getting too much for their beloved ship. But still, to think that the damage was this bad? Although, she was surprised Luffy made a logical choice. He and Usopp were quite fond of Merry; she didn't think he would be okay with making that decision. Speaking of fondness, though...

"How is Usopp taking this?" she asked.

"He hasn't woken up yet," Allen answered. "But, it's captain orders. He has to accept it, right?"

"... I hope so..."

"Everyone's at the meeting room, if you're feeling up to meeting them all that is."

"Yeah, I do. Besides, if we're going to get a new ship, we all should have a say as to which one we should go with. None will replace Merry, but at the very least, we should make a decision as a crew as to who will take her place, to respect her."

Allen nodded in understanding and agreement, as the two made their way to the meeting room. On their way there, they were hearing what sounded like an argument.

* * *

 _ ***MEANWHILE***_

Usopp, who woke up just seconds ago with the memory of the missing money, woke up crying, apologizing to everyone about how he lost the money.

"That money was so crucial to us and yet, I let it... I let it...!" he sobbed, hugging Guthrie's legs.

"Okay, we get it! Now calm down and let go!" the male Keyblade wielder told him.

"But... the huge amount of money we got, after all we went through..."

"Usopp, you should still be in bed," Chopper warned.

"Hey, listen to Chopper," Chirithy told the sniper.

After separating Usopp from Guthrie, the long-nosed pirate took a while to calm down, as the others explained to him what happened with the Franky Family.

"Then, as I was afraid, the money won't come back?" Usopp asked.

"Well, we won't know for sure until this Franky guy comes back," Luffy casually added.

Hearing that didn't make the sniper feel any better at all. "I see... I'm sorry..."

"Well, even if we don't get it back, we still have 100,000,000 Belli. So that's okay, don't worry about it." Luffy let out a laugh, as if to try and brighten the mood some.

"It's not okay about the money!" Nami, ever so greedy about the money, shouted.

This caused everyone else to stare at her.

"Nami, read the mood," Chirithy said in disappointment.

"I thought you were better than this, princess," Guthrie said, also in disappointment.

Realizing her mistake, the navigator quickly apologized.

"No, that's okay," Usopp told her. "But, Luffy, what about the ship? What about Merry? Can we somehow have her repaired with that remaining 100,000,000? We're lucky that we can have her repaired in such a first-class shipyard. In order for her to be able to travel in the seas ahead, I'd like her to be stronger. I want her to be repaired perfectly. Say, does it look like those guys will repay her if we pay 100,000,000 bellis? Does it, Luffy?"

As he asked those questions, everyone couldn't help but feel bad for him. If anything, it made it even harder for any of them, even Luffy, to tell him about the decision the captain made. And they knew for sure that the sniper will have a more difficult time to accept the choice that was made.

"Well... Usopp, about the ship..." the captain began. "I decided to get a new ship."

Usopp was shocked to hear those words. "What?"

"I'm sorry I made this decision without consulting you. But I've already made up my mind. The Going Merry took good care of us, but our journey with her ends here."

The sight of his speechless face was too much for some members, who avoided eye contact with the poor long-nosed pirate. The more braver, tougher souls kept eye contact with him, wondering how he was going to react.

"And you know, I took a look at the catalogue Ice pops gave us," Luffy added on, holding a book in his hands, flipping through the pages. "While checking the ships in it, I noticed that there're quite a few kinds. If we get a used one, 100,000,000 will allow us to buy a bigger ship than Merry-"

"Wait," Usopp interrupted. "Wait... Wait just a second. You're taking the joke too far. That's ridiculous. Right? Look, Chopper is taking it seriously. Seriously, what will we do with our captain? Say something to him, Nami. You too, Guthrie." Usopp looked around and saw everyone looking at him with either a sad or a serious expression on their faces. One look at each of them, minus Xion and Allen who weren't in the room, was all it took for him to know... They were all serious about it. "Wait, does that mean that we don't have enough money for the repair? Because I got that 200,000,000 stolen by them, w-we're now short on money, right? Hey, that's what's going on, right, Luffy? The cost of a first-class shipyard would also be first-class, so-"

"No! That's not it!" Luffy told him, not wanting the guy to blame himself for the money problem again.

"Then why?! Spit it out! Are you trying to be considerate to me?!"

"I'm not! It has nothing to do with the money being stolen!" came Luffy's voice.

"Then why are you saying stupid stuff like we're gonna get a new ship?!" demanded Usopp.

"Knock it off! Both of you!" Zoro shouted.

"Zoro's right! Calm down and talk about it! This isn't something to fight over!" Guthrie said.

"How can I stay calm when he starts saying stupid stuff?!" Usopp questioned.

"Don't get so worked up! This is important!" came Nami's voice.

"Usopp, you need to rest or you won't get better!" Chopper told the sniper.

"Who cares?! How can I be quiet when our captain casually says we'll be getting a new ship?!" Usopp shouted.

"It's not casual! I made the decision after agonizing over it!" Luffy corrected.

"What and how did you agonize over to make this kind of decision?!"

"Usopp, Luffy! Calm down! Especially you, Usopp!" Chirithy told the two of them, as Usopp snatched the book out of Luffy's hand.

"Then how about someone tell our captain how dare he talk about replacing Merry while waving this stupid thing?!" the sniper shouted, slamming the book on the floor.

Each second that passed with Usopp's behavior was starting to get to Luffy in more ways than one. "What'd you do that for?!"

"It's an eyesore! Hey, Luffy. If the problem isn't the money, when what?! Luffy, why don't you say it?! Hey! Why are you keeping quiet?! If you're not being considerate to me, then don't hold back! Say it! I won't accept it unless I hear a good reason! Hey!"

Seeing that their captain was having trouble keeping a poker face and lessening the impact of the truth, Guthrie tried to calm Usopp down, especially when he was still heavily injured like so. Before he can say a word, though, Luffy already spoke the reason.

"The Merry can no longer be fixed!"

Just when he practically shouted it out, Xion opened the door and entered with Allen by her side. However, everyone was focused on the truth of Merry to notice, specifically Usopp, who was shocked beyond belief.

"What... did you just say?" he breathed out.

"Don't make me repeat it," Luffy told him. "The Merry can no longer be repaired. No matter what we do, she can't be fixed." Usopp dropped to his knees at the news. "Otherwise, I wouldn't say something like that."

"This ship? Are you talking about this ship that we're on board right now?!" Usopp demanded.

"That's right. This ship will sink soon."

"What are you talking about, Luffy?"

"It's the truth. They told us at the shipyard. They said that she can't even reach the next island."

"Oh really? She can't, huh? So you were persuaded by strangers you just met today and gave up just like that?"

"What'd you say?"

If Xion wanted to, she'd interfere. But she knew that this was something the two of them had to deal with, not just as friends, but as captain to a crew member.

"Just because first-class shipwrights told you that this is it, you gave up just like that?!" Usopp demanded once more. "We've traveled together all this time! We made it through all sorts of waves and battles together! She's our dear friend! You're just gonna abandon her in a place like this?! Is that how little our ship means to you, Luffy?!" Usopp coughed, overexerting himself from all that yelling.

"You shouldn't shout like that, Usopp," Chopper said, concerned for his health.

"Sorry, but step aside," Usopp told him, much to the reindeer Devil Fruit user's confusion. "I'm not done talking to him."

It was silent, as no one knew what to do or say that can make things any better in any way.

"Then can you make an accurate assessment?!" Luffy questioned. "We don't have a shipwright on our ship. That's why we asked them to check her!"

Usopp couldn't believe what his friend was saying, as he looked to the side and noticed Xion and Allen by the door. "Hey Xion! Say something to our captain! You're vice, aren't you?!"

At his question, everyone's attention turned to her.

"... As you say, I'm just a vice captain. As such, if our captain made a reasonable decision, one that is for the best of everyone, then as his vice, and as a member of his crew, I will follow through his decision," she said. "Besides, you, Luffy, and Nami all went to the shipyard and asked a pro to check our ship, didn't you? I highly doubt we'd be having this conversation otherwise. Especially not when they gave a clear explanation as to why repairing Merry would be useless."

Usopp gritted his teeth in disbelief. Even the vice-captain was all for replacing their precious ship. "Fine! We don't have to ask those guys to fix her! I'll repair her as I always have! That's how we've continued to travel in the first place. Okay, let's start now. Help me out, guys!"

"Hey, wait, Usopp," Sanji spoke, seeing the sniper attempting to stand back up to repair Merry.

"Oh yeah, we don't have enough lumber. I'll go buy some at the shipyard," Usopp said. "We're really getting busy."

"Usopp..." Chirithy sighed, feeling bad for the guy.

"You're not a shipwright, are you, Usopp?!" Luffy shouted, not having any more of this topic.

This shocked some of his crew, as it added insult to injury for one of their members.

"Hey, Luffy!" Nami gasped out.

"Yeah, you're right. So what?!" Usopp questioned. "But I don't trust irresponsible shipwrights who easily give up on a ship just because it belongs to someone else by taking advantage of their position as craftsmen."

"Usopp..." Guthrie breathed out, feeling even more bad for the guy by the minute.

"This must be a lesson that we should protect our own ship by ourselves. I'll never... ever give up on this ship! Are you guys stupid or what?! You probably got fooled by the shipwrights' convincing argument, didn't you?! The Luffy I know would've believed in the strength of Merry first rather than buying those guys' sales talk! Such a clear-cut answer that sounds like one made by an old man that understands everything... How can you make a decision like that, suddenly acting all captain-like?! I misjudged you, Luffy!"

"Usopp, wait a second!" Allen spoke out.

"Luffy, you too! Don't do something you'll both regret!" Guthrie exclaimed.

"Stay out of this, guys!" the captain shouted. "This is something I decided! I won't change my opinion. No matter what you say now, we're gonna get a new ship! We're saying goodbye to Merry here!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I won't allow that!" Usopp argued. "Listen, Luffy! It's not like everyone can live looking ahead like you do! I can't just leave our wounded friend here and move on to the seas ahead!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Even if she is our friend, ships and humans are different!"

"They're the same! Merry has the strength to live left in her! Considering how you are, aren't you excited thinking about the new ship while pretending to be concerned about Merry?!"

"Hey, knock it off!" Guthrie called, walking towards them. "You can't have a conversation getting all worked up like this!"

"SHUT UP!" Luffy snapped, pushing Usopp down, much to everyone's increasing shock and worry. "Don't think you're the only one who's in pain from this! Everyone feels the same way!"

"If so, there's no way you'd decide to get a new ship!" Usopp continued to relent.

"Fine! If you dislike what I decide that much, then get off-!" Before Luffy could finish that sentence, Xion called Fire of Shandora and knocked him off of Usopp, breaking down a table in the process.

Everyone was speechless at what had occurred.

"Luffy... Watch what you were going to say," she said, trying so hard not to be mad at what he was suggesting. "Both you and Usopp need to calm down and talk about this! From captain to a crew member! Usopp, too! Stay calm!"

No one was willing to say a word; they were still processing over what had occurred before them.

Slowly, Luffy sat back up and placed his fallen, signature straw hat back on his head. "Sorry," he apologized. "I just..."

"That's okay, Luffy. That's how you really feel, isn't it?" Usopp more stated rather than questioned.

"What'd you say?!" Luffy couldn't believe that Usopp took his mistook wording that seriously.

"Go ahead and cut off useless friends one after another and move on," the boy continued, getting back up himself. "If you're gonna abandon the Merry, why don't you do that to me, too?!"

"Hey, Usopp! Don't say stupid stuff like that," Sanji scolded.

"No, I'm serious. I've been thinking about this for a while." Everyone was confused when he said that. "To be honest, I've been thinking that I can't keep up with your monstrous strength. Like today... I can't even watch over money." They didn't like where he was going with this. "I'll just keep causing you guys trouble."

"But Usopp..." Allen spoke, trying to think of something to say otherwise. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind for him.

"You don't need weak friends, right?" Usopp continued. "Luffy... You're the man who'll be the king of the pirates. But I don't have to go that high up. Thinking back, when I was about to sail out, you guys asked me to join you. We don't have to travel together when we have a difference of opinion!" Usopp head out the room.

"Hey! Where are you going, Usopp?!" Guthrie asked.

"Where I'm going is my own business. It has nothing to do with you guys anymore. I'm... leaving this crew."

Majority of the crew were shocked at those words, as they went to stop Usopp, convince him to stay instead of leave, as the now ex-pirate closed the door behind him.

"Usopp..." Chopper spoke, tears forming in his eyes.

"No way..." Chirithy followed.

Nami turned to Luffy. "Hey! What are you doing, Luffy?! Is it okay to let him go like this?! Come on! Go after him! Stop him now!" No matter what she said, however, the captain refused to move. "We've come this far together. Is it okay to part like this? Usopp is our precious friend. So stop him!" Luffy remains unresponsive. "You're the captain, aren't you? Luffy?"

"He is. That's why he's letting Usopp go," Xion answered, grabbing everyone's attention.

Allen turned to Xion. "You're not really just going to let him go, are you? I thought we're all friends here!" he said.

"Being a friend and being a pirate of a crew are two different things," Xion sadly told him. "Normally a pirate who disrespects their captain... would no longer be a part of the crew. Not only that, but there are times when a captain has to do what a captain has to do. For the sake of his crew."

"But that's..." Allen looked down, not believing that his friend was saying such things, as did everyone else.

"If you want to leave too, you can. You just became a pirate, and you just now know what it truly means to be one. If you don't want to be here any longer, then as the vice-captain, I give you permission to leave." The whole crew couldn't believe what she suggested to their newest member.

"Hey, Xion!" Guthrie shouted in disbelief.

"What are you saying?!" Allen questioned, bringing all attention to him. "I'd never leave you, no matter what! You or this crew! I told you back before we left Skypiea, didn't I? Leaving is the last thing I'll ever do!"

Xion had a small smile form at those words, not believing herself how she got such a loyal friend in Allen.

"So you're not going to stop Usopp either, Xion-nee?" Chopper asked.

"He made his choice," Xion said, back to a neutral expression. "And Luffy knows it too."

"I can't believe this!" Nami exclaimed, as she, Sanji, Chopper and Guthrie rushed out the door to the rails, where Usopp was already at a distance away from the ship. "Wait! It shouldn't be like this!" she called out to the walking injured. "Hey! Turn around!"

"Hey! Come back!" Sanji called.

"Stop walking away and come back!" Guthrie shouted.

"Don't go! Usopp!" Chopper cried out, eyes forming more tears, as he cried for their friend to return to them. "Come back!"

At this point, Luffy, Zoro, Xion, Allen, and Chirithy joined the others.

As Usopp walked, Luffy thought back to all the good and fun times they had together since he joined the crew. From the battle they had together back on Little Garden, making some snowmen in the Sakura Kingdom, the whole East Blue portion of the Straw Hats making a vow on a barrel when they left Loguetown, all of it. Was he saddened? Of course he was. Was he going to stop him? ... No...

It was then, Usopp stopped walking. "Luffy! I can't go along with you anymore," he spoke. "Sorry to cause you trouble to the very end." Luffy gritted his teeth at how low Usopp thought himself to be. "It's true that the ship belongs to you, the captain. So fight me, Monkey D. Luffy! FIGHT A DUEL WITH ME!"

Everyone was shocked to hear those words of declaration, as the sniper turned to face his former crew.

"What? What? Er, what are you saying?" Nami asked.

"At 10 o' clock tonight, I'll come back here! Then we'll have a duel for the Merry! I'll defeat you and take her," Usopp continued. "And then, the bond between you guys and me will end there." At that declaration, he continued to walk away.

Everyone was plain speechless at his wit or foolishness. Though they knew how mad Usopp was at Luffy, for it to turn out this way... This was not something they wanted to happen.

Just as they slowly made their way back to the meeting room, Chopper noticed something different. "Hey, where's Guthrie?" he asked, looking about.

The rest of the crew suddenly noticed that he wasn't among them.

"Out there!" Allen noticed, seeing him walking along the shoreline back to the town of Water 7. Everyone raced towards the side of the boat and saw him.

"Guthrie!" Chirithy called out.  
"Hey, where are you going?!" Xion questioned. "If you're going after Ussop, then don't try to-."

"I'm not going after him." he answered, silencing her, "I'm… I'm taking a temporary leave of absence from the crew."

The words shocked the crew, hearing something that should be the last thing to be heard at this state.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Nami demanded. "You can't just leave us at a time like this!"

"Yeah, she's right!" Allen agreed. "Look, I know Robin has suddenly vanished and Ussop left us, but that's no reason for you to leave, too!"

"It's more than just that," he answered, looking at the team. "Look at me. Look at all the accomplishments I had failed to achieve. My battles with Larxene and Aokiji prove how useless I am as a guardian. My failed attempts to keep Ussop with us and keeping Xion's anger in check prove how hopeless I am as a counselor. I am pretty much not strong as a Keyblade wielder, as Xion has proven over and over again how much better she is than me. As I am, right now, I am no good to anyone."

Xion was startled to hear him like this. He was starting to smile and enjoy being part of the crew until Aokiji. Suddenly, he found himself broken from the string of events since then. Not only that, but how was keeping her anger in check his fault?

"That's so not true!" Allen barked back at him. "You fought hard back in Upper Yard! And you held your own against someone who's suppose to be one of the most powerful forces in the Marines!"

"I only survived that fight because he decided to let me and the rest of the crew live!" Guthrie pointed out. "I am not as strong as you think! I am not strong enough to protect anyone, physically or mentally, whether it be Xion or anyone in this crew! I don't what my role is in this crew, so until I do, I am taking a leave of absence! I need to find my purpose until then!"

He looked up at Xion, ignoring Chirithy next to her, and asked, "Permission for a leave of absence until then? You are the vice-captain."

Everyone looked to Xion, who looked back at him calmly. Finally, she answered, "Permission granted." The crew was stunned at her answer, especially those who vouched for Guthrie at this point. "If you don't return by the time we decide to leave Water 7, then that'll be a sign that you choose not to join back with us. Are you okay with that condition?"

Guthrie turned away from her, his eyes covered in shadows as he answered, "Yes. I understand." He walked away from the crew, despite Nami, Chopper, Allen, and even Sanji's calls out to him to come back. Zoro remained silent, only looking at Luffy, who was too deep in thought about his soon fight with Ussop to speak up. Xion looked at Chirithy, who looked down for a second, then turned and hopped off the railing, walking back into the cabin. Unbeknownst to anyone, if there was someone who was hurting the worst from Guthrie leaving, it was him.

* * *

That night, Luffy was in the boys' bedroom, mentally preparing himself for the duel. Nami was with him, convincing him to both not have the duel and to bring Usopp back to the crew.

"What's with you?! Stop this nonsense!" the navigator scolded. "Why do you have to fight a duel with your friend?! If you give it a little time, you both will cool down, right?! Usopp, too. He just got flared up because things were moving too quickly."

"Now that we've come this far, we can't go back," Luffy told her.

"That's not true! You can apologize to him and talk it over again!"

"Like I said... it's no longer possible."

"Why not?"

"Usopp isn't stupid enough to risk his life under the influence of anger. Besides, it talking it over would change his opinion, this wouldn't have happened. If you get it, leave me alone."

Nami couldn't believe she was hearing those words from her cheery, carefree friend and captain. The guy was actually giving up on Usopp, and for a good, logical reason at that. But that didn't mean she was going to give up.

"Fine! If you won't do something, then Xion will! She's always the more reliable one anyway!" Nami told him, going to leave the room.

"Xion and I already talked about this before you," Luffy called, causing her to stop in her tracks.

"You and Xion did?" she asked.

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

It was about an hour before Nami came to speak to Luffy about the duel and Usopp. Xion was in the room, leaning against a wall, while the guy was resting on the hammock.

"You did the right thing. You know that, right?" Xion asked.

"..." Luffy stayed silent at her words.

"Luffy. I know you and Usopp are friends. But there are times when you have to do what a captain does. Even if you do feel guilty about how things ended up, even if you want Usopp back, you can't just ask for things to return to normal."

"... I know," he said. "Usopp made his decision to leave anyway. We all love the Merry, and you guys still agreed with the idea, no matter how painful it was. I'll do my job as captain, so don't worry about Usopp."

Xion nodded at his words, and started to take her leave. "Sanji should be done with dinner. Want me to bring your portion?"

"... Leave it."

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

Nami had her eyes widen in shock, listening to Luffy, as he had told her of his short conversation with their vice captain. If he was lying, she wouldn't believe him, but Luffy was a terrible liar "But... That's..." she stuttered out.

"You understand now, right? Now leave," he told her.

Reluctantly, Nami took her leave.

* * *

At the same time, in the meeting room, there was another conflict going on.

"I'm saying, the Franky Family came here this afternoon, right?!" Sanji demanded Zoro, who kept watch of the ship earlier when everyone else went out.

"Huh? So what?" the swordsman simply answered.

"Why didn't you beat them all up beyond recovery then?! If you had, Usopp wouldn't have been attacked and felt guilty!"

"Then instead of going shopping, you should've stayed and fought!"

"I went to get necessary food as your chef!"

"Guys, please calm down!" Chirithy told them, not wanting another fight to break out in the crew. "Getting another fight is the last thing we need!"

"Stay out of this!" Sanji and Zoro told them.

"QUIT FIGHTING AT A TIME LIKE THIS!" Nami shouted, entering the room and silencing the boys. "There's been enough fighting. Don't fight over what's done."

"Nami-san! But this idiot-!" Sanji tried to reason.

Before he could continue his complaint, the door opened again, this time with Chopper, Xion, and Allen entering the room. The pair of non-Devil Fruit users went to pick up Allen's clothes from the tailor, all that are placed in bags in their hands, while the man-reindeer went to check up on Usopp as a doctor.

"How'd it go?" Chirithy asked, for the group knew where the trio went.

The three were silent at the question.

"... I wanted to continue treating his wounds, but he turned me away," Chopper spoke, flopping down to a sitting position. "He got a place to stay in town. And he said... He said, 'You and I are no longer friends, so go back to the ship!'"

Seeing her brother-figure trying to hold back tears, Xion went to comfort him, placing him on her lap, and hugging the poor boy.

"All that fun time up until this morning seems a lot like a dream," Nami said. "If something happens to Robin on top of this... I feel like... the gang is falling apart."

No one could say anything in response to this, especially when things really do seem tense right now. Allen could only look at Xion, thinking back to their conversation earlier when they went to pick up his clothes.

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

They just picked up the clothes and were going to pick up Chopper from the inn Usopp was staying in. As they made their way to their destination, Allen asked her, "Why didn't you stop Guthrie?"

"What do you mean?" she asked back.

"Exactly what I mean. You're vice captain, aren't you? You know how the situation is, and yet you still..."

Xion stopped walking when he brought that up, prompting him to also cease walking.

"... I know it sounded unreasonable, but it's for the best," she began.

"In what way?" he asked.

"Think of it this way when you were back with your tribe, when your cousin was your leader. If someone close to him wanted some time off for themselves, and for good reasons at that, would he let them leave? He may be tough, but he's still a nice guy in his own way, isn't he?"

Allen thought about what Xion said, and couldn't help but feel that to be true. There were times when Laki requested some time away from the group just to spend time with Aisa, as the two were like sisters, especially during times when Aisa got sick or hurt. Wyper knew that and granted the request, even during the really important meetings.

"I know more split-ups is the last thing the crew needs, but Guthrie needs time to think. Besides... I think I know where he's coming from, to have such conflicting thoughts," Xion added.

* * *

 ** _*END OF FLASHBACK*_**

Allen couldn't help but wonder what she meant by that. Did she remember why she left him or did she just remember the feeling? With how her memories were, it was hard to say exactly. But he knew Xion was not a liar. And he also knew better than to doubt her. Plus, as she said, maybe some time alone was what Guthrie needed... And Usopp.

* * *

The clock struck ten, the promised time of the duel. Luffy stood on the rocky cape, while everyone else, under his order, stayed on the ship.

"You guys! Stay on the ship! Got it?!" Luffy called, making sure that we really do stay and not to anything to interrupt the battle. No one answered in response, not that he needed them to at this very moment.

Not long after, Usopp had finally arrived.

"There he is!" Nami exclaimed.

"Usopp!" Chopper cried out, still worried for their former crew member.

As everyone else looked at him, they couldn't help but remember the good times they had when Usopp was still a part of their crew. The battles they fought together, the fun they had, even the smallest conversation they had with him. They remembered all of it, and all wished that this hadn't come to be. Sadly... It is what it is.

"So you didn't get cold feet, huh?" Luffy spoke. "You'd better be sure you're not going to regret this, no matter what happens. This is the duel you wanted."

"Of course. You'd better fight seriously," Usopp confirmed. "I'll turn the tables on you. I've already figured out how to defeat you."

Everyone was silent. None dared move from their spot to stop the upcoming fight.

"Can't we stop them? Usopp is wounded quite badly," Chopper asked.

"If you can't bear to watch this, go inside," Xion told him.

The rest of the crew was silent, as if agreeing with the swordsman's words.

Worried he may be for his friend, Chopper steeled his will to watch the duel that was to be.

"Don't lump me in with your past enemies who didn't know your skills," Usopp warned Luffy. "Luffy... We've known each other for a long time. I know about your powers very well. Don't be surprised when you hear this, Luffy. I have 8,000 men under me! If you don't want to die, surrender now!"

Many people knew that was a lie, as usual. Well, all except one.

"What?! 8,000?! That many?!" Chopper gasped out in shock.

"I'm pretty sure that's a lie," Allen corrected.

"You go inside," Zoro advised the small pirate.

"You don't have any subordinates! I know that much!" Luffy shouted, not at all falling for such a lie.

" **Usopp Spell!** " Luffy flinched slightly, preparing himself for what his opponent was going to do. "You've got razors stuck between all your teeth!"

This time, it was Chirithy who responded to the liar, as he let out a small scream. "It hurts just to imagine that!" he cried out.

"Maybe you should poof away," Xion told the Dream Eater.

"You've got cactus spines inside your fingernails!" Usopp continued.

Not falling for even a word of his 'spell', Luffy charged in with his fist reeled back. " **Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!** " Before he initiated the punch, though, Usopp coughed out something red and fell to his knees, causing him to stop.

"Usopp?!" Nami gasped out in worry.

"Hey, is he okay?!" Allen asked, just as worried.

"See?! His body is already-!"

"No, wait!" Xion interrupted Chopper. "Look closely."

Upon clearer and closer inspection, the red liquid Usopp coughed out was not really blood.

" **Hissatsu: Ketchup Star,** " he muttered out.

Luffy heard his muttering and realized he was tricked.

"What? Are you sympathizing with your enemy? What confidence...!" Just as the Straw Hat pirate was going to continue his punch, Usopp took out a certain shell from his pouch. " **Flash Dial!** " A bright light came from it, blinding the Devil Fruit user. Usopp took this chance to distance himself from his opponent. " **Hissatsu: Egg Star!** " He fired an egg at him. " **Star! Star! Star!** " Each time he said that, he fired more eggs at Luffy.

"That stinks! They're rotten!" Luffy complained, not liking the smell on him. "Damn it! You jerk! Get serious!"

"Is this silly? I'm very serious, Luffy!" Usopp claimed. "This is my way of fighting! Hey, if you have your mouth that big, you'll have a burn!" He fired a pellet right at Luffy. The rubberman didn't anticipate that move, as it went into his mouth and down his throat. Once it did, he felt something burning inside. " **Hissatsu: Tabasco Star!** "

"That's hooooooot!" Luffy breathed out some flames from the spiciness of the sauce in the pellet.

"Watch out when you wriggle! Beneath your feet, it's already **Caltrop Hell!** " Just as Usopp said that, Luffy, surrounded by the caltrops Usopp set up, most likely during the distraction of the Flash Dial, tumbled over and fell on some of the pointed objects behind him. The Straw Hat captain yelped out in pain, while some of his crew were just shocked and amazed at how the battle was going.

"Usopp is in control of the fight!" Chopper gasped.

"No way!" Chirithy followed, knowing full well of the power difference between the two fighters.

"Listen, Luffy! I'll defeat you without fail and take the Merry! No matter what it takes!" Usopp declared.

It was at this point, everyone knew how serious Usopp was about this duel. True, they knew how much he treasured Merry, but they also knew he was one who wouldn't risk his life so much to the point of death. For him to practically say that he'd even risk his life to win...

" **Hissatsu: Pepper Star!** " The guy fired another pellet at Luffy.

The one hit, a small gas of pepper was released, causing the guy to be in a sneezing mess, as well as constantly falling on Usopp's trap.

"I told you. I won't use attacks that don't work on you," Usopp reminded, taking out another pellet from his pouch.

Luffy managed to hold himself up, ceasing his constant fall. He slowly took in some deep and clean breaths. "Damn it... It stinks... My mouth is burning... And it hurts!"

"I won't give you even the slightest chance to attack! **Hissatsu: Shuriken Shooting Star!** " Rather than pellets, he took out a chain of ninja stars and shot them at Luffy.

Luffy was quick to react, as he moved away to avoid the stars while at the same time carefully trying to avoid landing on top of any caltrop. Unfortunately for him, as Usopp promised, he wasn't giving him time to recover and fired more ninja stars at him. On the bright side, all that dodging got him out of Caltrop Hell. Both fighters stared each other down, catching their breaths. As they did so, smoke was starting to form around the Devil Fruit user, in which he noticed.

"Smoke?" Luffy looked around and saw a dial emitting smoke from its hole.

"I'm using a Breath Dial," Usopp said. "You didn't notice the smell because of the eggs, did you? The smell of the gas that's filling the area around you...!"

Everyone's eyes widened when they heard what kind of smoke he was using.

"Did he say gas?!" Xion asked.

"What? What's so special about gas in this fight?" Allen asked, not familiar with that sort of smoke.

As if to answer his question, Usopp took out another pellet. "Sorry! Take this! **Flame Star!** " He fired the pellet. Once it made contact with Luffy, because of the gas, a huge explosion occurred. It was powerful enough to cause the sea to jump, as waves came and rocked Merry a bit away from the cape. Everyone grabbed on to the rails or somehow managed to keep their footing, preventing themselves from falling overboard.

"What an explosion!" Zoro said, impressed with the setup Usopp had for this duel.

"Luffy! Usopp!" Nami called out in worry.

"Hey! Are they okay?!" Allen asked, just as concerned.

Though the light had died down, the smoke from the explosion hadn't yet. Everyone either held their breath in anticipation or stood there, simply looking on to see the result of the duel, if any.

What many of them didn't know, however... was one of them was crying. It wasn't amongst them pirates, though it was one of them. They shed tears, but no sound came from them. Even if they do want to cry out for Luffy and Usopp to stop fighting, it would be pointless, as neither could hear them in the first place. How they longed to do something even before they reached the island, how they longed to do something to prevent things to get to this. If only they could do something. If only... Merry could speak to them.

"I can't stand this," Nami spoke.

"Luffy! Usopp!" Chopper cried out to the smoke.

Back on the land, Usopp, who got blown back from the explosion, stood back up to his feet. "I know..." he muttered out. "I know an attack like that wouldn't take you out. I know Luffy, that you fight every battle with all your strength." From the smoke, he could see the shadow of his foe approaching him. "I know every detail of your skills!" He prepared to shoot another pellet. Once he saw the shadow break to a run, he made his move. " **Hissatsu...** "

" **Gomu Gomu no Gatling!** " Luffy shouted, coming in with a barrage of punches.

" **Bursting Cactus Star!** " Usopp shot his pellet.

Once it hit Luffy's fist, the ball exploded, and cactus spines were released from it, striking the Devil Fruit user at point blank and forcing him back. "Ouch!" he cried out.

Usopp's assault didn't stop there. " **Triple Exploding Star!** "

Luffy saw the attack coming and quickly ran to avoid the bullets. Usopp didn't relent and continued to fire his attack.

Once Luffy saw an opening, he drew back a fist. " **Gomu Gomu no Pistol!** "

Usopp didn't expect him to be able to attack still while dodging his Exploding Star and was hit straight in the face. Once he was down and Luffy's arm retracted back, the latter rushed in an attempt to end the duel. " **Gomu Gomu no... Bazooka!** " Unleashing his most powerful attack, he brought his arms back and thrusted them forward.

Unfortunately, Usopp anticipated he would use that move eventually, as he brought a hand to his torso and somehow blocked the attack easily. No... It wasn't just blocked. Luffy could feel the impact from his own move leaving him, as though it was getting sucked into something.

"I have a dial here," Usopp said, holding an Impact Dial in the hand that blocked Luffy's Bazooka attack. "I got it... Your impact!" While the pirate was airborne, the ex-pirate closed the distance between them. " **Impact!** " He slammed the dial at Luffy's face, activating it, and causing the guy to be hit by the force of his own attack.

"An Impact Dial?!" Allen gasped, shocked that the guy has such a dangerous dial, second to the Reject Dial. And this is especially when Usopp didn't have any sort of training to endure the recoil from the usage. As a result, though the dial did its works on Luffy, it also placed a strain on Usopp's arm.

"How'd you like that?! Dammit!" the sniper cried out, trying to endure the pain.

Luffy, on the other hand, managed to land on his feet. The guy panted hard, trying to recover from the force he took, while staring down at his now weakened opponent, as well as once again thinking back to when he met and recruited him. With a grunt and a battlecry, he stretched out his arm again. " **Gomu Gomu no... Bullet!** " Snapping his arm back in place, he landed a powerful blow on Usopp directly in the gut. This time, the guy coughed out blood from the hit, and was taken down and out.

"Usopp!" Chopper cried out in worry, while majority of the crew looked on with hard, neutral looks in their eyes, and the rest were just heartbroken by the duel and the outcome of it.

"Game over," Zoro muttered out.

Luffy went to his knees, panting for breath, while still looked down at his defeated opponent. "You idiot," he began. "There's no way that you could beat me, is there?!" Silence met his words, as he got up and returned to Merry.

"I can't stand this..." Nami breathed out, covering her mouth with her hands and shedding tears at the scene before her.

Xion understood her feeling, but as much as she wanted to do something to help, what could she do in this situation? This wasn't one of those situations where she could just help someone in need and call it a day. This wasn't something that she could just get herself involved in. No... This situation, was between two prideful men.

Luffy picked up his straw hat that was blown off his head during the fight and placed it back on his head. "Do what you want with the Going Merry," he told Usopp, knowing that he could still hear him. "We'll get a new ship and move on to the seas ahead!" He continued on back to the rest of the crew. "Well, bye, Usopp. It's been fun."

Chopper couldn't take it anymore, as he went to get his backpack.

"Chopper-kun, don't go!" Xion ordered, grabbing the man-reindeer by the arm.

"Why not?!" he asked. "He was already wounded so badly to begin with, and now he got beat up worse!" The young pirate shook her arm off and proceeded to attempt to jump off the ship.

" **Stop.** " That one word, that one spell, Xion stopped Chopper's time. With her brother figure now frozen, she went and gave him a light hug. "I know how you feel, Chopper. Believe me, I do. I'd go and heal him up too, but this was Usopp's decision. Not only did he fight a duel he knew he couldn't win, he even got pitied for it. Imagine how he's feeling right now. And imagine what would happen if you just carelessly treated him after all of this."

His time may have stopped, but that didn't mean he couldn't hear what was going on around him. Once Chopper's time resumed, the boy stayed in his sister-figure's arms and silently cried.

When Luffy was by the ship, everyone turned to him.

"... This is tough..." he muttered out.

"But that's... what it means to be a captain... right?" Allen asked.

"Don't lose yourself," Zoro advised the victor. "If you waver, who can we trust?"

"Let's vacate the ship," Xion suggested, as Chopper jumped out of her arms and ran to Usopp. Unlike before, Xion didn't do anything to stop him. Unlike his previous intention, the small pirate was only leaving some medicine and bandages by the sniper's side to use when he wake. "We can no longer... return to this ship."


	8. Culprits! Keyblade Wielder vs Cyborg

**Just some more, leftover KH3 hype. After this, I should be back to updating my other stories, for those of you who like to read them as well. And let me say this now; I made some major changes here compared to the anime, but not enough to change the canon completely. Don't worry. Everything will still fall in place as it should be. I have it all planned out, guys. So, let's start this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _When Luffy was by the ship, everyone turned to him._

 _"... This is tough..." he muttered out._

 _"But that's... what it means to be a captain... right?" Allen asked._

 _"Don't lose yourself," Zoro advised the victor. "If you waver, who can we trust?"_

 _"Let's vacate the ship," Xion suggested, as Chopper jumped out of her arms and ran to Usopp. Unlike before, Xion didn't do anything to stop him. Unlike his previous intention, the small pirate was only leaving some medicine and bandages by the sniper's side to use when he wake. "We can no longer... return to this ship."_

* * *

It was the day after the duel. The Straw Hat Pirates had long left Merry and Usopp and got themselves a pair of rooms at an inn, one for the guys and the other for the girls. However, with things as they were, no one felt like relaxing in their rooms. While Sanji and Nami went out for a bit, everyone else were at the rooftop.

A door opened, and Sanji had arrived at the roof. "So this is where you guys are," he said. "We went to the trouble of getting a pair of rooms at this inn, and yet no one's in there. I guess you all couldn't sleep." The chef noticed someone was not with the rest of the crew. "Where's Luffy?"

"Up there," Chopper answered, looking towards a tower, where the captain sat, and had been sitting at since they left their ship.

"Where have you been, Sanji?" Allen asked, as Sanji leaned against the rails and started to smoke.

"I kept a lookout at the rocky cape last night, thinking that Robin-chan might come back," he answered.

"I'm guessing she didn't?"

Sanji breathed out a smoke. "No. I wonder where she went, without saying a word to us."

"Speaking of, I wonder if Guthrie is okay," Allen spoke.

"Hmph. Like he's needed here anyway," Chirithy, who sat by the rails, facing the city, scoffed, to a few's surprise.

"But Chirithy, aren't you two friends?" Chopper asked.

"What made you think that?! We're not friends! I only stuck around with him to teach him about the ways of being a Keyblade wielder and make sure that he hasn't strayed from his mission!"

"Hey, you damn cat! Don't-"

"Stop it, Sanji," Xion interrupted the chef. "Don't any of you see? In fact, you stop as well, Chirithy."

"What are you saying?" the talking Dream Eater questioned, not turning her way.

"You know exactly what I mean. We're in a state of mourning right now."

A few seconds was all it took, and Chirithy had tears forming in his eyes, as he silently cried his heart out. The Dream Eater really and truly missed Guthrie and was still hurt that the guy decided to leave them, even if it was temporary.

"It's been nothing but trouble since we got to this island," Chopper muttered. "We had our money stolen, and moreover... look what happened with Usopp. He's badly wounded... I bet he's running a fever right now and can't even move!"

"Chopper," Zoro called. "Stop talking about him."

"I'm gonna wander around town looking for her again today," Sanji said, referring to Robin.

"I wonder if we can find her," Chopper said.

"Who knows. It's not like I have specific places to check in mind."

"But we do know that she still has to be here on the island, right?" Allen pointed out.

"We should all search for her," Xion said. "Let's meet back here if anything happens."

"I'll go look for her too!" Chopper said.

Just then, the door slammed open, and a frantic Nami entered. "Luffy!" she called.

"Nami-san!" Sanji gasped in shock.

"This is terrible! The whole town's talking about it!" she said. "Luffy! Last night, Iceberg-san from the shipyard was... He was shot at his own home!"

Her words brought the captain's attention to her in shock. "Ice pops was?" he asked.

She nodded before added, "They said he's unconscious right now."

"Everyone thinks the world of him. Why...?"

"Who's Iceberg?" Allen asked.

"Someone who helped us yesterday," Nami answered. "He's the president of the shipbuilding company and the mayor of Water Seven."

"Sounds like he's quite the big shot," Sanji said.

"If he is, then this must be big news for everyone on this island," Xion stated.

"I'll go check," Luffy said, leaping off the roof and running off to, most likely, Iceberg's place.

"Wait, Luffy! I'll come too!" Nami called, exiting the rooftop.

"Should we follow after them?" Allen asked.

"You can if you want to," Xion said. "We should best split up from here. Some of us will look for Robin, and the others will follow Luffy and Nami and check out Iceberg-san. Even if that guy doesn't have anything to do with us, he did offer us a ship."

"And for those of us that wants to do neither?" Zoro asked. "I kind of want to wait it out and see where things go from here."

"The rest can do what they want. We meet back here." With that, the rest of the Straw Hats, with the exception of Zoro, split. Sanji and Chopper went to find Robin, and Allen, Xion and Chirithy went to follow Luffy and Nami by the rooftops.

* * *

As Xion's group continued to the shipyard, which is most likely where Luffy was heading off to, Chirithy couldn't help but pout at the situation. "Hey, why do we have to be worried about some big shot of this city?" he asked.

"Isn't it because we're good people who are concerned for other good people?" Allen asked. "Plus, aren't we getting a new ship from that guy?"

"Even so, that doesn't mean we have to check on him! We don't know him like Luffy and Nami does!"

"Chirithy, don't belittle other people," Xion told him.

"What are you talking about? Right now-" The female Keyblade wielder stopped in her tracks, causing the Dream Eater, perched on her head, to tumble off. Before he could hit the roof, Xion caught him.

"Now look here! I may have an idea as to why Guthrie has a mission to protect me, and I don't care! But when there are others that need help, you do not just turn a blind eye on them! It doesn't matter if you do or don't know them; ignoring a person in need of help over one other person is heartless! Don't think I don't know about your argument with Guthrie! He may have a mission to protect me, but that doesn't mean he has to prioritize me over everyone else! To take care of one person is to take care of the whole crew! Keep that in mind!"

Chirithy slowly processed over Xion's words. He knew for sure that protecting her was the top priority, but even she found that to be annoying. No, not just annoying; unreasonable. Couldn't she see that this was for her own good? Or was it that... it was him who couldn't see the bigger picture? For a Dream Eater who was asleep for so long, and woke up with not much of personal memories, it could happen. But still... Is it really important to care about someone else rather than the mission?

"Come on. We're wasting enough time as is." Xion tossed the Dream Eater at Allen, much to both their surprise, as the dancer caught the small creature. Without another glance, Xion continued on to the shipyard.

Allen perched Chirithy on his head and followed after her. As he followed the vice, he told the Dream Eater on his head, "She didn't mean that in a bad way."

"I'm just trying to fulfill my mission. Is it that bad?" he asked.

"It's not that it's bad. Just that there are times when you have to focus on other people, even if they are strangers or not so important people. Believe me, I know. Back before she disappeared, when I get myself involved in her missions, it was practically the same thing. There was a time when she had to choose between taking down this big, dangerous Heartless, but I got myself surrounded by some other Heartless, and the one she was after was going to escape. Between me and the Heartless, she should've gone for it. But instead, she saved me. I asked her why, when she knew that going against her mission in any way would give her a good scolding from her superior. She told me that she couldn't bear leaving me to die. What she was trying to tell you is that every life is worth saving; there's no such thing as priorities when there's a life worth saving for."

Chirithy was in deep thought at his lecture, wondering if maybe, he had it all wrong after all.

Just then, a siren was heard, prompting Xion and Allen to stop in their tracks.

"Attention, please," they heard. "This is the Water Seven Weather Forecast Center. An Aqua Laguna warning has just been issued all over the island. Its arrival time at Water Seven is estimated to be after midnight tonight."

"Aqua Laguna?" the Shandian repeated in a questioned tone. "What is that?"

"Never heard of it," the female Keyblade wielder answered. She looked around and saw one citizen at their window, taking in some plants that were left out. "Excuse me!" she called, getting her attention. "Can you tell us what that broadcast was about?"

"Oh. Are you travelers?" the woman asked. "You came at a bad time then. Aqua Laguna is a storm surge."

"A storm surge?" Allen questioned.

"That's right. Though you're not wrong to go to higher ground like you two are now, it's safer to be on higher ground indoors. Like at the shipyard for example. The lower part of this island will be submerged in sea, you see."

Hearing that surprised the pirates. "It'll be submerged?" Xion gasped.

"That's how bad Aqua Laguna is. But don't worry, this happens every year, and this island is still standing. According to the forecast, the storm won't be until after midnight tonight. Plenty of time for people to evacuate to higher ground. If you have friends who are also travelers like you, you best warn them as soon as possible. And I advise you do not stay on the roof during the storm. Do be careful now."

"Sure. Thank you." With that, the woman took in her remaining plants and closed the window.

"There's a storm that bad?!" Chirithy asked in surprise.

"So we were told," Allen answered. "What do we do, Xion?"

"Our best course of action is splitting up from here. There's no doubt in my mind Nami, Sanji and Chopper are asking about the storm, so they're okay. And Nami will most likely relay the message to Luffy when she catches up to him. But there's also Zoro, Guthrie and Usopp to worry about. Allen, can you go back to the inn and tell Zoro of the storm? I'll find Guthrie and Usopp."

"Got it."

"I'll go with you, Xion," Chirithy said. "You'll need help looking for Guthrie. And since Dream Eaters are kind of linked with their Keyblade wielders..."

The vice captain of the Straw Hat caught on to what the little guy was saying. "Okay. I'm counting on you." Chirithy hopped off Guthrie's head and landed in the girl's arm. As soon as he did, the trio of pirates split to their roles.

* * *

It didn't take long for Xion and Chirithy to find themselves on a field of ship scraps somewhere between where they fought the Franky Family, and where they parked the Merry, where Chirithy sensed Guthrie to be.

"You sure you're not gonna tell him with me?" she asked.

"It's fine," the Spirit huffed, sitting behind a boulder where Guthrie wouldn't see him from where the guy was. "It's not like he'll give a damn about his mission like he does for that woman."

As much as Xion wanted to berate him for downgrading her crew member like he did, she knew how futile it would be, if her earlier lecture wasn't enough to get the little Dream Eater to know that he was in the wrong. That being said, she left him to walk over to the sound of training on the field. Guthrie was practicing his magic and techniques, using scrap piles he found or built up by hand as targets. He had unleashed an Aeroga spell on one of them, blasting the scraps a far distance from him.

"Nice shot," she commended him.

Guthrie stopped and looked to her, then away from her as he asked, "What're you doing here?"

"Just here with a warning or two. Apparently a dangerous storm is going to arrive soon, one that will possibly sink the island," she answered.

"Oh? And how would you know that?"

"Because it was forecasted less than an hour ago in town," Xion answered, sitting on a broken mast next to him. "And apparently it's a yearly thing. Honestly, saying that out loud, I am amazed that this island and its city is still standing if that bit about the storm is true."

"I see..." Guthrie simply answered, resuming in his training.

"By the way, have you heard from Robin?" He stopped upon hearing that question.

"You mean she still hasn't returned?"

"Sanji stayed the night near Merry in hopes that she'd come back. But apparently, she didn't. He and Chopper are looking for her right now."

Guthrie turned to Xion. "Just them two? What about everyone else?"

"There's talk about the mayor of the city, who's also president of that shipyard company, getting shot last night. Luffy and Nami, both who knew the guy, went to check on him. Allen, who was with me when we went after the two, went back to the inn we were staying at to warn Zoro. And Chirithy..." She trailed off there, not sure what to say considering the situation between the male Keyblade wielder and his Dream Eater.

Guthrie simply sighed and said, "Well, I wish I could be of more help to you guys about where Robin is, but I haven't seen her myself. She just up and disappeared on me and Chopper when we went to a bookstore in the backstreet shopping district."

"Do you have any idea where she could be? Surely you've studied her as a counselor as you had with us. Any hint on where she may have gone?" Xion asked.

Guthrie placed a finger on his chin in wonder. "Hmm... It's possible that she went to find some ruins, but there were no sign of one or anything ancient where we were. There wasn't even an antique shop near that store."

Xion sighed at his answer, a bit sad and disappointed that even he couldn't help much with their search for their missing member. "I see..."

A thought came to the former counselor of the Straw Hat's head. "Although... there might be one other option."

His added words caught her attention. "One other option? Like what?"

"Well-"

"There she is, boss!" came a voice familiar to Xion.

The two Keyblade wielders turned and saw, to the vice-captain's dismay, a few of the Franky Family members that she beat up. Said members were all bandaged up and were with a pair of identical girls and a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a speedo.

"That's the girl that messed up our house!" the guy she recognized as Zambai informed the speedo-wearing man.

"Ho? So you are Starlight Blade Xion," the guy said, doing some stretching exercises with the twins. "So it was you who went on quite a rampage while I was gone. Even now, I cannot believe the state of my house here. It's completely unrecognizable! How dare you treat my underlings so badly?" The trio crossed their arms in a 'no' formation. "I can't take it anymore. Girl or boy, no one can stop me this week! No matter what you say, until I tear you like rags, my anger won't subside!"

It didn't take Xion long to catch on to what he was saying. "So you're Franky?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's right. And if you think you can demand the money back from me, too bad! I've already spent it all! But what does it matter to scums like you? After all, it was just money that you stole from somewhere, wasn't it?!"

"Hey, that's not true!" Guthrie called out.

"If not that, then you must've stolen something of equal value and cashed it in. In the end, that money doesn't belong to you guys anyway, so it's not like we actually stole them from you!"

Guthrie tried to reason with the guy, when Xion placed a hand in front of him, much to his confusion.

"So you're the ringleader of that group," she said, glaring at him. "Good. With everything that's been going on, I actually need something to take out my frustrations on. And I won't stop, until I'm satisfied."

Hearing her say that shocked him. "Xion?"

"It's me who is frustrated, you bastard!" Franky exclaimed.

"If you want a fight, then bring it! I'll make you pay tenfold for what happened to Usopp!" the female Keyblade wielder exclaimed.

Guthrie, on the other hand, was just confused at the whole situation at hand. Yes, he knew who Franky was, just by the name itself. Yes, he was aware that this guy is responsible for their lost money. And yes, he knew that there will be a chance of meeting the guy and that certain people will be after his head, especially when Xion took all the 'fun' the other day. What he didn't expect, however, was the girl herself acting the way she was. If it was Luffy, for example, he'd understand. But Xion?

If only he knew, though. If only he was watching his former vice captain from the front. He would see for himself... that her eyes were changing to yellow. Due to the far distance between them, Franky and his group were oblivious to the color change, as the leader took in a lot of air.

Xion raised a brow at this. ' _What is he doing?_ ' she wondered.

After he inhaled the maximum amount of air he can breathe in, he exhaled... out some flames from his mouth!

The Keyblade wielders widened their eyes in shock at this and quickly moved to avoid the flames.

"That guy breathed fire?!" Guthrie gasped in shock.

"Don't tell me... A devil fruit user?" Xion assumed. "If so then... **Spark Dash!** " She rushed in at her opponent, cloaked in lightning, and struck him in the chest with Fire of Shandora. " **Sweep!** " She instantly followed it up with a lightning-cloaked, jumping spin attack that forced him in the air. " **Muscle Strike!** " While he was in midair, Xion ended the chain of attacks with a good strike to the chest, sending him into the ocean. Once that was done, she landed on the ground. But... even though she sent him in the sea, where Devil Fruit users are at their weakest, something felt very wrong.

' _Xion... She beat him, didn't she?_ ' Guthrie thought. He looked over to the Franky Family, who all had smirks on their faces. ' _If so, then why aren't they crying out for their leader?_ '

' _Something's not right here,_ ' the vice captain of the Straw Hat pirate thought herself. ' _Those hits... they didn't feel like I was hitting a normal man. That victory felt too easy against an opponent like that._ ' She went to the edge of the cape and looked into the ocean. She saw air bubbles coming up to the surface, as well as a shadow in the waters. Instead of the shadow getting smaller, though, it looked more like it was getting bigger, which made her even more concerned.

Soon enough, Franky emerged from the sea, his right arm pointed at the girl. " **Strong Right!** " His fist suddenly shot out of his arm, connected to a chain, and hit Xion hard. The girl didn't at all expect an attack like that and was sent skidding across the cape. Once she was far enough away, and the chain was at its length limit, Franky jerked his fist back in place.

"What the-?! That was definitely not human!" Guthrie gasped in shock.

"Hm? So you really don't know? Then let me tell you," Franky spoke. "I'm a modified human. A cyborg!"

Xion used a Cure magic to heal herself of the hit. "A... cyborg...?"

* * *

At the same time, back in Water Seven, more specifically at Dock 1's shipyard, Luffy and Nami, on their rented bull, arrived at their destination, where they saw a lot of people gathered for the same reason as them. The pair already asked if there was a way to Iceberg's place, at the very least, but apparently the way there is through Dock 1's closed gate.

"What should we do, Nami?" Luffy asked, looking at the gate before them.

"Like we have a choice. We can only wait out here like everyone else," the girl answered. "I really hope Iceberg-san is okay. Just who could've done this?" After a few seconds of staring at the gate and pondering, she turned to Luffy to suggest that they return to the inn... only to see him gone. "Huh? Luffy?"

"Hey! Who is that?!" she heard.

"Is that guy crazy?! That's trespassing!" she heard after.

A horrible feeling was felt on her spine as she turned and, sadly, saw her captain on the other side of the gate.

"What happened to waiting it out here?!" she demanded.

Back to Luffy, in the end, the guy just couldn't sit back and wait for the news like everyone else. He was too worried for Iceberg to just wait; he had to see him himself and confirm if the guy really was okay. It took a lot of jumping, arm stretching, and some Gomu Gomu no Rockets here and there, but he managed to make it to the mansion. At the front, there were many reporters gathered, no doubt to hear news of Iceberg's situation.

"Okay, I'm here," he said to himself. "Now if I can just get in..."

"Oh, Iceberg-san! I'm really glad that you came around!" he faintly heard.

Luffy looked up and saw an open window at higher ground. "Is that where he is?!" he wondered, as he ran to find an obstacle that could take him to that very window.

* * *

Inside the building, in the very room Luffy was to enter through soon, Iceberg was in bed, bandaged and awake. In the room with him were some of his most trusted shipwrights and his assistant, Kalifa. By the door was another one of his trusted shipwrights, Paulie, and outside the room was also a trusted shipwright, Tilestone.

"You speak each and every word too loudly! That isn't good for him, right?!" Paulie scolded Tilestone.

"Oh! You're right! I'm sorry!" the big guy apologized, though still a bit too loudly. He realized something, something very important for them all to hear. "Oh, that's right! There's trouble! Listen, you guys!"

"Don't come inside the room. Speak from where you are."

"The pirate Straw Hat, who came yesterday, trespassed in Dock #1 and is said to be making his way here!"

This caused the other shipwrights and Kalifa to narrow their eyes. They were just talking about how Nico Robin, one of Luffy's crew members, had attacked Iceberg with one other accomplice, and now the captain of the very crew that assaulted their mayor and president was coming here?

"Straw Hat..." a pigeon on one of the shipwright's shoulders, Lucci and his pigeon Hattori, spoke. "Iceberg-san!"

"That bastard...! How dare he make his way here now...?" Paulie growled.

A shipwright with long nose, similar to Usopp only in a square shape, looked towards the open window and saw something heading their way. "Hey. What's that?"

This grabbed everyone's attention, as they looked and also saw the figure make their way to the room. In the very room... Through the window! Unfortunately, just as they processed through that thought, before any of them could do a thing about it, the figure was inside. Good news, they didn't hit Iceberg. Bad news, they struck Paulie and caused the two to get knocked into Tilestone and get skidded back some ways away from the room.

Luffy quickly got back up and looked around. "Good, I made it," he muttered. Looking behind him, he saw Kaku, Lucci, and Lulu by the door, ignoring the two, unfortunate shipwrights under him. "Oh! You guys! How is Ice pops? Is he okay?" he asked.

They offered no answer. No... After what they heard? Seeing his face... was the last thing they ever wanted to see.

Luffy grew concerned of their silence and thought something was wrong with the patient. "Hey! Is Ice pops okay?" he asked again.

"You bastard..." Paulie spoke, causing Luffy to look down and just now realize who he was on top of, or that he was even on someone.

"Oh! Sorry. Are you two okay?"

Rather than answering, Paulie grabbed the guy by the ropes in his sleeve, much to his shock. "Just in time. We were just talking about you, Straw Hat," he said, glaring at the pirate, as did everyone else.

Next thing Luffy knew, Paulie ran back in the hospital room and leapt out the window the pirate came from, dragging said pirate with him. " **Oshioki: Ippon Dzuri!** " Once they were near the ground, the rope wielding shipwright slammed the pirate head-first down, getting his head stuck in, and landed on his own feet. "To pull that sort of crap you went and did... Just what the hell is your goal, Straw Hat?!" he demanded. Luffy was busy trying to get his head out of the ground.

What the guy may or may not have noticed, however, was that the reporters gathered at the front door now had their attention directed to him and Luffy.

"Isn't that...?"

"One of the foremen of Dock #1?"

"But who is that with him?"

"Doesn't look like a foremen I know of."

"Nor I."

"He said 'Straw Hat', didn't he? Then isn't that...?"

"Straw Hat Luffy?!"

Many questions were popping out of their heads, along with some assumptions. One thing they knew for sure, the two guys before them were not on good terms with each other. Or at least it was just Paulie who didn't like Luffy.

"I'm surprised you have the nerve to show your face here again," the shipwright said.

At this point, Luffy finally got his head out of the ground, taking a good breath of air. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "We came here because we heard the news about pops."

"If you play innocent, then we'll just put the screws on you. **Rope Action: Half Knot!** " Paulie tied his rope around Luffy's neck, choking the guy. " **Air Drive!** " He then proceeded to slam him down on some crates.

With the rope removed from his neck, Luffy let out some coughs and stood up from the crates. "Hey! Wait! I don't have the slightest reason to fight you guys!" he tried to say.

Gunshots were heard, and a pair of bullets struck Luffy's rubbery body from the side. There, at the front door of the mansion, now clear of reporters, were the rest of Dock #1's foremen.

"He's... got Devil Fruit powers?" mused Lulu, who was responsible of those gun shots.

The bullets were sent back, but because Luffy didn't anticipate them, he lost his balance when he reflected them and was left vulnerable to a good kick to the face by the gunner, thus was sent skidding back a few more feet.

Tilestone was next, picking up a large log nearby and rushed at Luffy. Just as the pirate stood back up, he was hit by the log and, like a batter to a baseball, was sent flying further back. As if it wasn't bad enough, Kaku, who leapt into the air ahead of time, grabbed the rubberman and tossed him even further away, all the way to Dock #1's gate.

There, for all to see, Luffy was knocked down. Nami, who didn't move from her spot since her captain and friend left, was shocked to see Luffy back and in the middle of a fight. "Luffy?!" she gasped.

When the Devil Fruit user got back up again, he found himself facing face-to-face with Lucci. The guy delivered some ferocious palm attacks, in which the pirate went on the defensive against, especially as he really did not want to fight any of them. But that didn't mean he wasn't getting annoyed by this. "You jerk...! Stop it!" Just as he knocked one hand away, Lucci came around with his other hand, and unleashed a destructive strike on Luffy, knocking him down once more.

Nami was shocked at this development, as were everyone else. ' _Hang on! Why are the shipwrights fighting against Luffy?!_ ' she wondered.

Luffy panted and slowly got to his feet again. "These guys really are strong..." he muttered. "Dammit! What's with you guys?! Tell me the reason at least!"

Paulie approached him. "Straw Hat... We're the ones who want to know why," he spoke. "The culprits who broke into our main office last night and attacked Iceberg-san... were from your gang, weren't they?!"

Nami was shocked to hear that claim. "But that...! That can't be...!"

Luffy was also puzzled at the reason, especially when, as far as he knew, everyone was at their inn last night, or near the Merry in Sanji and Usopp's case. The only ones who weren't at either of those places were Guthrie and Robin. But it was not possible for either of them to do such a thing, was it?

"D-... Don't be ridiculous! Why... Why would we do such a thing?!" he questioned.

This didn't play well with the shipwrights. "So you'd play innocent to the end, huh?" Paulie accused.

"But we really didn't-"

"The culprits... When Iceberg-san came around, he told us that he remembered the two culprits. One was a big man with a mask on. The other was a tall woman. When we asked the government, they said she's one of you guys. Nico Robin, one of the woman with a bounty on her head!"

The two Straw Hats were shocked to hear the name of the person supposedly involved in Iceberg's attempt assassination. "Robin?!" Luffy gasped out.

"Did you come to this island in order to kill Iceberg-san from the start? Or did you decide to do so after you guys met him yesterday?" Paulie questioned. "I don't know how you pirates think, but now that we've come to know you're the culprits, we won't leave you at large."

His words were all getting to the citizens of Water Seven, all who were getting the same feeling as the five shipwrights before them towards the male pirate.

"The reason you came here is to see if the deed is done, isn't it? And now that you've confirmed that he isn't dead, you guys will still come back until the deed is done, huh?! Before that happens, we'll take care of you here and now!"

Kaku tossed a chisel at Luffy's head, in which the latter managed to dodge with only a cut on his cheek. "Dead or alive..." he spoke, recalling the words on his wanted poster. "They don't care if you're captured alive or not. Do you know what it means to be on the wanted list? You pirates can't complain, no matter who does what to you. In other words, the world's laws won't protect you guys."

"You're right," Luffy agreed, knowing full well of being on such list. "We are outlaws. I know that, but..." He wiped the blood forming from his cut off his cheek. "Don't say things like that when you know nothing about Robin!"

Nami looked at him with a hint of sadness and uncertainty. "Luffy..."

"Let me see Ice pops! I'm sure he was mistaken! There's no way it was Robin!"

"Why would we let you get closer when we don't know what you'd do?!" Lulu retorted, declining Luffy's request.

Everyone of Water Seven's citizens cheered in agreement.

"That's right! Tie up those culprits!"

"They tried to kill our town's hero!"

"Send them to the gallows!"

"H-Hang on! What are you saying?!" Nami questioned, trying to reason it out with everyone.

"You bitch!" One guy jumped on Nami's boat and got her in a chokehold. "Hey! You were with that Straw Hat guy earlier, weren't you?! You must be one of them, right?!"

"Is that true?!" a woman nearby asked.

"Yeah, he's right! I saw her, too!" another woman vouched. "We're not gonna let you get away!"

"Don't try to fight!"

"Wait, stop it!" Nami tried to reason again.

Luffy saw her situation and grew concerned. "Nami!"

"Let go of me! I said let me go! What did we do?!" she futily questioned.

"Don't play innocent! You guys are assassins!" the guy holding her hostage said. "How dare you shoot Iceberg-san?! We won't let you get away!"

"Hey! Stop it, you guys! We're saying we didn't do anything!" Luffy shouted.

"That's right! For one, Robin doesn't have a reason to go after Iceberg-san, either!" Nami pointed out.

"Just keep insisting that," Paulie said, not believing a word they were saying. "In any case, this is it for the two of you. Learn that harming Iceberg-san, means that you're turning us, Galley-La Company, into your enemies... And that you've made enemies out of everyone in Water Seven!"

"Why are you saying groundless things like that?!" Luffy questioned. "Let me talk to Ice pops!"

"Just give up, pirate! The information will spread throughout the town immediately. There's no longer a place for you to escape! We'll bring down everyone in your gang!"

Everyone in the sidelines all cheered in agreement, all encouraging the foremen to take Luffy down.

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Xion, she was having a really difficult time with Franky. The guy was full of surprises. Not only did he have a mean punch, he even has various firearms in his left arm. Her attacks didn't seem to be doing much to him; if anything it was like hitting some sort of steel wall. And it didn't help that the guy's left arm is also his shield which he can use to block Xion's attacks and counter with his hard punches.

"Hey, hey, hey. What's the matter, Starlight Blade?" Franky asked in a mocking tone. "I could've sworn you wanted to beat me up."

Xion stood there, Keyblade embedded in the ground to prevent herself from falling to her knees, panting in exhaustion. Guthrie and Chirithy stayed where they stood, shocked at the scene before them.

"Xion's getting beaten?" the male Keyblade wielder gasped.

"That guy... Is it possible that he's-?!" the Dream Eater assumed the worst.

"I think it's time for you to say good-bye to this world, Starlight Blade," Franky said, taking out a T-shaped pipe from somewhere and connected both his arms on the top end and pointed the bottom at Xion. Next thing the Keyblade wielders knew, the guy's arms were growing larger, as the sound of wind getting sucked in was heard.

"What is he...?" Xion questioned, getting a horrible feeling of what will happen.

" **Coup de Vent!** " Before she knew it, a blast of compressed air was fired from the pipe.

The girl made an attempt to block the attack, but found herself getting sent flying by the force of it. In fact it was strong enough to send her flying yards back, all the way to the bull rental shop.

"Xion!" Guthrie cried out in concern, while the conscious members of Franky's group all cheered for him.

"Heh. Now then, if I recall, she has a high bounty, doesn't she? I guess it's time to collect it," Franky said, walking to the shop he blasted her into. However, before he could get far enough, Guthrie stood before him, blocking his path. "Hm? And who are you?"

"My name is Guthrie!" he introduced. "And if you think I'm going to let you take Xion, you got another thing coming!"

Those words didn't sit well with Franky, as he lifted his sunglasses with his thumb. "So you're a member of her crew?"

"That's in the air, right now. But I am not letting you hurt my friend!" He summoned his Follow the Wind Keyblade and prepared himself for battle.

Franky narrowed his eyes and raised a brow at the sight of the weapon in his hand. "That weapon... Looks similar to Starlight Blade's." A smirk formed on his lips. "Interesting. Then let's see how you fair!" Letting down his sunglasses, he pointed his left arm at Guthrie. " **Beans Left!** " He shot out some bullets from the arm at the guy, all in which Guthrie blocked. " **Strong Right!** " Franky threw a punch at the male Keyblade wielder's way, causing the guy to move from his spot away from the fist.

Seeing an opening on Franky, Guthrie made his move. " **Sonic Blade!** " He rushed at Franky and delivered a consecutive dashing thrusts into the guy. As he struck him from all angles, he felt something off from each hit.

' _What the heck? Why does each hit feel different?_ ' he wondered.

"You bastard..." Franky seethed, breathing in some air. " **Fresh Fire!** " He breathed out flames from his mouth once more at Guthrie.

" **Aeroga!** " The guy deflected the fire with his wind magic, dispelling the flames. What he didn't realize, however, was that it was a distraction, as Franky's fist was shot through the flames and struck him hard in the gut, sending him skidding across the field like Xion had.

"You're not bad, man. Too bad you're a pirate," Franky said, retracting his fist once more.

Guthrie healed himself up from the powerful hit, mainly in his torso area, and stood back up. "Okay... That was harder than I thought..." he uttered out, a bit surprised Xion didn't cough out blood when she got hit by that attack.

"No one said you can take a breather here! **Weapons Left!** " With his left arm pointing at Guthrie, and his wrist opening up, Franky shot out a cannon ball from his arm.

Guthrie made an attempt to block it, when something else came and knocked the ball off course.

Everyone was shocked to see Xion standing there. But the most surprising thing was familiar dark wisps being emitted from her body. "That hurts, damn it..." she spoke, lifting her head and glaring at the cyborg opponent.

Franky's lackies all trembled at the sight of the wisps, recalling what happened back in the house before it was destroyed. It was bad enough when the girl fought without those wisps, but when they came? It was as though a demon from hell rose to the surface and caused the damage in her steed.

"It seems I was a little easy on you," she spoke. "Allow me to apologize for such a poor performance... by beating you to pulp."

Franky thought she was only bluffing and simply laughed. "Oh is that so? In that case, to accept your 'apology', I'll give you one freebie. Go on. Land a hit on me," he challenged.

Xion smirked at his words. "You better not regret it. **Dark Haze.** " Cloaked in the dark wisps, Xion charged at Franky at high speed. To his shock, the hit was actually much stronger to the previous times she attacked him. Xion then grabbed the guy by the head and pointed her Keyblade right at his back. " **Dark Volley!** " Dark projectiles were shot out of her Keyblade, hitting the guy at point blank, as he let out some screams in pain.

"Aniki!" his boys and the twins called out in worry.

Xion's smile grew as she listened to Franky's screaming. "As I thought. You may be a cyborg, but some part of you is still made of human flesh. I just had to find it," she said, as her shotlock died down. "Now that I know, that hit you dealt me with the compressed air hurt a lot. Allow me to repay you for that pain." She spun her Keyblade, calling upon some wind pressure that surrounded her. " **Tornado... Strike!** " Xion performed a spin attack, smacking Fire of Shandora into Franky's back, as well as summoning a tornado.

Guthrie and the Franky Family couldn't believe what they were seeing. Not only was Xion beating Franky up the way he had to her, she even summoned a tornado that carried the guy off. However, they would be fools if they think she was done with him there, as the female Keyblade wielder jumped and performed another devastating spin attack on the vulnerable cyborg's back. This hit was strong enough to, with the combined force of the tornado, send Franky flying farther away than his Coup de Vent.

"Aniki! No!" Zambai cried out.

"That can't be- waina!" one twin in pink gasped out.

"Aniki has been-!" the other twin in yellow followed.

Xion landed on the ground, and turned to the family, causing them all to flinch. "So... who is my next victim?"

The group all flinched and shed anime tears in fear, not wanting to be the unfortunate victims.

"Hey, Xion! That's enough!" Guthrie said, approaching the girl.

"Huh? And what makes you-?" Before Xion could finish that question, Guthrie slammed Follow the Wind's guard straight into her gut, knocking her out. As soon as she was down, the former counselor carried her over his shoulder and turned to the Franky Family.

"So, if we can just pretend that this never happened, that would be lovely," he said to them. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking her and go." Not waiting for a response, Guthrie made a break for it back in town, with Chirithy following after him.

* * *

Back with Luffy and Nami, the captain was having a really difficult time with the shipwrights. No matter what he said, no one would listen to him. It didn't help that they were scary strong for a bunch of shipwrights. All he could do was defend against them. Soon enough, he found himself embedded in a wall by Kaku's chisels.

"Damn it! I can't move!" he cursed.

Looking up, he saw Tilestone approaching him with a big gun pointing at him. Before he could fire the gun, however, something crashed into the large Shipwright. Everyone looked and stared at the sight before them with wide eyes. The reason? The one that crashed into one of their heroes... was none other than Franky.

"Ow! That really hurt!" he exclaimed, rubbing his back and winced in pain. "Damn you, Starlight Blade... Holding back your true strength against the super me! Just you wait!"

"Franky! What the hell are you doing here?!" Paulie demanded.

The guy turned and, after a quick look around, just realized where he was sent to. "Oh? If this isn't the shipyard of Dock #1 and its foremen." He stood back up on his feet. "This is just great. I got some anger I want to unleash." He distanced himself from the shipwrights and Luffy, took out his pipe, and locked his arms into it like before.

"Hey. What the hell is Franky doing here?" one citizen questioned.

"He looked like he was sent flying here," another pointed out.

"Then, does that mean that someone fought him?" asked another.

"And it looked like they almost won too," said another.

While they were all questioning on why Franky was here, the speedo guy was already sucking in enough air in his arms, causing his arms to grow twice as big as when he used this certain attack on Xion. " **Coup de Vent!** " He shot out the compressed air at, not any of the foremen, but at a crane that had been toppled over during their fight against Luffy. Unlike before where the attack was only strong enough to blow Xion away to a building, this attack broke the crane and the ship that was being built behind it. And that's not all; it even blew the standing foremen into the air and sent them crashing back down.

"Ow... What the hell was that? It felt like high-pressured wind crashed into us!" Paulie questioned.

But wait, there's more from that one attack, as another crane nearby was starting to fall... right where the innocents were. The people and the bulls reacted fast enough to get the hell away from the falling crane and the shipyard and towards safety.

"A shipyard like this should be... crushed!" Franky shouted, satisfied with the destruction he caused.


	9. Rumors and Fallouts

***Breathing deeply in a paper bag***

 **Xion: Okay, I know I did not cause... whatever is going on over here. But what's wrong? It can't just be my mere appearance; we're at peace with each other now. Especially when you told me of your plans after seeing KH3.**

 **Coral: *high pitch* No! No! It is not you!**

 **Xion: *sweat drop* Then... What?**

 **Coral: Just did something that may as well be the stupidest thing I've ever done or a turning point in my life is all...**

 **Xion: ... What did you do?**

 **Coral: ... a book...**

 **Xion: Huh? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that.**

 **Coral: ... -blished a book...**

 **Xion: A little louder please.**

 **Coral: I SAID I RECENTLY PUBLISHED A BOOK, OKAY?!**

 **Xion: *wide-eyed* You published one of your fanfictions into a book? Are you mad or something? No one is going to-**

 **Coral: No, not a fanfiction book, a book book! I wrote an original story and published it on Amazon Kindle!**

 **Xion: *wide-eyed* ... Is this really something that should be told here?**

 **Coral: I don't know! But I just want to get that off my chest! Sure I had a few friends reading it and saying that they were completely in love with the story, but having strangers read it is something else entirely!**

 **Xion: Wait, then why did you publish it?**

 **Coral: *fiddling fingers together* I was encouraged... All this time writing, I got to making my own, legit story, it kind of made me want to be a writer as a career. Spoke to someone about my life choice, and he supported it...**

 **Xion: ... I am quite curious what the story is. *takes laptop and browse through story ideas***

 **Coral: NO! Please! Don't look! STOP!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"There she is, boss!" came a voice familiar to Xion._

 _The two Keyblade wielders turned and saw, to the vice-captain's dismay, a few of the Franky Family members that she beat up. Said members were all bandaged up and were with a pair of identical girls and a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a speedo._

 _"Ho? So you are Starlight Blade Xion," the guy said, doing some stretching exercises with the twins._

 _"So you're the ringleader of that group," she said, glaring at him. "Good. With everything that's been going on, I actually need something to take out my frustrations on. And I won't stop, until I'm satisfied."_

 _"It's me who is frustrated, you bastard!" Franky exclaimed._

 _"If you want a fight, then bring it! I'll make you pay tenfold for what happened to Usopp!" the female Keyblade wielder exclaimed. " **Spark Dash!** " She rushed in at her opponent, cloaked in lightning, and struck him in the chest with Fire of Shandora. " **Sweep!** " She instantly followed it up with a lightning-cloaked, jumping spin attack that forced him in the air. " **Muscle Strike!** " While he was in midair, Xion ended the chain of attacks with a good strike to the chest, sending him into the ocean. Once that was done, she landed on the ground. But... even though she sent him in the sea, where Devil Fruit users are at their weakest, something felt very wrong._

 _'Something's not right here,' the vice captain of the Straw Hat pirate thought herself._

 _Soon enough, Franky emerged from the sea, his right arm pointed at the girl. " **Strong Right!** " His fist suddenly shot out of his arm, connected to a chain, and hit Xion hard. The girl didn't at all expect an attack like that and was sent skidding across the cape. Once she was far enough away, and the chain was at its length limit, Franky jerked his fist back in place._

 _"Hey, hey, hey. What's the matter, Starlight Blade?" Franky asked in a mocking tone. "I could've sworn you wanted to beat me up. I think it's time for you to say good-bye to this world." Franky took out a T-shaped pipe from somewhere and connected both his arms on the top end and pointed the bottom at Xion. Next thing the Keyblade wielders knew, the guy's arms were growing larger, as the sound of wind getting sucked in was heard. " **Coup de Vent!** " Before she knew it, a blast of compressed air was fired from the pipe. " **Weapons Left!** " With his left arm pointing at Guthrie, and his wrist opening up, Franky shot out a cannon ball from his arm._

 _Guthrie made an attempt to block it, when something else came and knocked the ball off course._

 _Everyone was shocked to see Xion standing there. But the most surprising thing was familiar dark wisps being emitted from her body. "That hurts, damn it..." she spoke, lifting her head and glaring at the cyborg opponent. "It seems I was a little easy on you. Allow me to apologize for such a poor performance... by beating you to pulp."_

 _Franky thought she was only bluffing and simply laughed. "Oh is that so? In that case, to accept your 'apology', I'll give you one freebie. Go on. Land a hit on me," he challenged._

 _Xion smirked at his words. "You better not regret it. **Dark Haze.** " Cloaked in the dark wisps, Xion charged at Franky at high speed. To his shock, the hit was actually much stronger to the previous times she attacked him. Xion then grabbed the guy by the head and pointed her Keyblade right at his back. " **Dark Volley!** " Dark projectiles were shot out of her Keyblade, hitting the guy at point blank, as he let out some screams in pain. She spun her Keyblade, calling upon some wind pressure that surrounded her. " **Tornado... Strike!** " Xion performed a spin attack, smacking Fire of Shandora into Franky's back, as well as summoning a tornado._

* * *

 _Luffy quickly got back up and looked around the hall he crashed into. "Good, I made it," he muttered._

 _Paulie grabbed the guy by the ropes in his sleeve, much to his shock. "Just in time. We were just talking about you, Straw Hat," he said, glaring at the pirate, as did everyone else._

 _Next thing Luffy knew, Paulie ran back in the hospital room and leapt out the window the pirate came from, dragging said pirate with him. " **Oshioki: Ippon Dzuri!** " Once they were near the ground, the rope wielding shipwright slammed the pirate head-first down, getting his head stuck in, and landed on his own feet. "To pull that sort of crap you went and did... Just what the hell is your goal, Straw Hat?!" he demanded._

 _"What are you talking about?" he asked. "We came here because we heard the news about pops."_

 _Gunshots were heard, and a pair of bullets struck Luffy's rubbery body from the side. The bullets were sent back, but because Luffy didn't anticipate them, he lost his balance when he reflected them and was left vulnerable to a good kick to the face by Lulu, thus was sent skidding back a few more feet._

 _Tilestone was next, picking up a large log nearby and rushed at Luffy. Just as the pirate stood back up, he was hit by the log and, like a batter to a baseball, was sent flying further back. As if it wasn't bad enough, Kaku, who leapt into the air ahead of time, grabbed the rubberman and tossed him even further away, all the way to Dock #1's gate._

 _There, for all to see, Luffy was knocked down. Nami, who didn't move from her spot since her captain and friend left, was shocked to see Luffy back and in the middle of a fight. "Luffy?!" she gasped._

 _'Hang on! Why are the shipwrights fighting against Luffy?!' she wondered._

 _Luffy panted and slowly got to his feet again. "Dammit! What's with you guys?! Tell me the reason at least!"_

 _Paulie approached him. "Straw Hat... We're the ones who want to know why," he spoke. "The culprits who broke into our main office last night and attacked Iceberg-san... were from your gang, weren't they?!"_

 _Soon enough, Luffy found himself embedded in a wall by Kaku's chisels. "Damn it! I can't move!" he cursed._

 _Looking up, he saw Tilestone approaching him with a big gun pointing at him. Before he could fire the gun, however, something crashed into the large Shipwright. Everyone looked and stared at the sight before them with wide eyes. The reason? The one that crashed into one of their heroes... was none other than Franky._

 _While everyone was questioning on why Franky was here, the speedo guy was already sucking in enough air in his arms, causing his arms to grow twice as big as when he used this certain attack on Xion. " **Coup de Vent!** " He shot out the compressed air at, not any of the foremen, but at a crane that had been toppled over during their fight against Luffy. Unlike before where the attack was only strong enough to blow Xion away to a building, this attack broke the crane and the ship that was being built behind it. But wait, there's more from that one attack, as another crane nearby was starting to fall... right where the innocents were. The people and the bulls reacted fast enough to get the hell away from the falling crane and the shipyard and towards safety._

 _"A shipyard like this should be... crushed!" Franky shouted, satisfied with the destruction he caused._

* * *

Seconds passed since Franky used his destructive move on the pillar. The dust was starting to clear up, revealing complete and utter destruction of the shipyard. Everyone had long evacuated the area by now, leaving Luffy, Nami, and the shipwrights.

"What is he?" the navigating pirate questioned. "A cyborg? Where did he get that kind of technology?! And what was that weird cannon?!" Nami looked at herself and realized something. "Ah... But... I was able to escape thanks to that!"

"Nami! Run!" Luffy shouted, rushing over to the girl.

"Luffy! Are you okay?"

The captain knelt down to her. "No way I'd be brought down by something like that!" he exclaimed, catching his breath. "Anyway, I don't get it. Let's go see Ice Pops somehow!"

Nami looked at him in shock. "What?! We're going?! It's not possible in this commotion!"

"Hey look! Straw Hat is getting away!" a civilian noticed.

Just like that, many others nearby looked and saw the pair of pirates getting up from their spot.

"Oh shoot!"

"We're gonna get surrounded!" Nami stated.

Luffy looked around and got an idea for their escape. Grabbing hold of Nami by the waist, he stretched out his arm. "Hold on tight!" he advised.

"Don't let them escape!" a bystander shouted, running to the two.

Thankfully, Luffy managed to grab the edge of a rooftop in time and shot both himself and Nami up to a building. Once they were at the top, they made a break for it from the roofs.

"They're getting away!"

"Go after them!"

* * *

Back with Guthrie, Xion, and Chirithy, the male Keyblade wielder managed to get the trio to a safe place on a building's rooftop, where he set down the unconscious female wielder. Chirithy looked around the area, hoping that none of the Franky Family was coming after them.

"Looks like we're safe," he said. "How's Xion doing?"

"She's resting, that's for sure. Don't know what will happen when she wakes up. Hopefully she'll be back to normal by then," Guthrie said.

The two guys stared at the unconscious girl, worried for her.

"Just what in the world happen back there? Xion fought like a completely different person. In fact, she acted like a different person," the Dream Eater said.

"That's what I want to know. You're supposed to be the expert at this stuff," Guthrie retorted.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well you're the one who kept telling me to protect Xion, especially when she's being targeted by the organization. You never said why, so I'm guessing this is the reason."

Chirithy was silent at the point he made.

"So Chirithy? Talk! What was that back there? Some sort of special power Xion has? Something the organization implanted in her before she escaped from them? That power seemed so much like darkness. What is it?!"

The Dream Eater looked down, a grim expression on his face. Guthrie swallowed the bit of saliva gathered in his mouth, waiting for the answer. "That is..." The male wielder nodded scooting a bit closer to Chirithy. "It was..." He drew closer. "That power... it was..." Guthrie felt his eyes widened in anticipation, red lines being shown, as he was not sure how much longer he could hold his curiosity and demand in. "I don't know what the heck it was!" Cue the anime fall.

Guthrie grabbed Chirithy by his cape and shook him relentlessly. "What the hell do you mean 'you don't know'?! This is something very important here, Chirithy!"

"Waaaahhh! Hey! There are things even I don't know of! Stop shaking meeee~!"

... Am I the only one having a de ja vu here?

"There you guys are!" came Allen's voice.

Guthrie stopped shaking the poor, dizzy Dream Eater and looked to see the dancer pirate approaching them from above, along with a newspaper in hand.

"Allen! What's wrong?" the male Keyblade wielder asked.

"This is what's wrong," he answered, handing Guthrie the paper in his hand.

The ex-pirate took the newspaper and he couldn't believe what he was reading on the front cover. "Wait, what?! Straw Hat Pirates are culprits of Mayor Iceberg's attack?! What the heck is this?!"

"That's what we want to know!" Allen exclaimed. "Earlier we heard that the Mayor got attacked, and now we're hearing this..." It was then, he noticed Xion lying unconscious on the roof. "Xion? What happened to her?!" he asked, kneeling down to her side.

"Take a guess," Guthrie answered, running a hand through his hair.

Allen's eyes widened at the response. "You mean... it happened again?"

Chirithy looked between the pair. "What? Do you know something, Allen?" the Dream Eater asked.

The dancer looked down at his vice-captain, worried for her, and wondering if it was okay to tell Chirithy now.

Guthrie placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure it's fine to tell him," he said, having a good idea what the guy was worried about. "Xion's unconscious now. I don't think she'll hear any of this."

Taking those words into consideration, Allen explained to Chirithy what he knew about Xion's situation.

"Weird power takes over Xion when she's angry?!" he gasped.

"You saw for yourself what happened earlier. She never displayed this sort of power back on Sky Island before she left," Allen said. "I can bet you my dancing skills that that power is the exact reason why the organization is after her."

"That really does sound plausible," Guthrie said. "And there's also that voice in her."

Allen turned to him in confusion. "What 'voice'?"

"You don't know yet? I thought you knew by now."

"About what?"

"There's another soul inside of Xion's," Chirithy answered. The dancer faced him in shock. "Well, we don't know exactly if he is a 'soul' per say, but he is a voice inside of her head. A voice who seems to know a lot about the Keyblade."

"So wait. You think this voice is the cause of Xion acting this way or something?" Allen asked.

"We're not sure yet, but I don't trust that guy one bit. I'm getting bad vibes off of him," Guthrie said.

"Can't we ask Xion about him?"

"If we do, it'll be clear how suspicious we are of him. And unfortunately, since he helped her train the ways of the Keyblade, I highly doubt she'll be willing to hear us out when we say that there's something wrong with that guy. Plus, if we do ask her about him, if he is connected with what's happening to Xion, wouldn't that make her even more worried? I thought you don't want me to tell her anything that's connected to her situation."

"I know! I know I was the one who asked you to keep that quiet, but this has gone on long enough! I can't keep using her battle against Larxene or any future battles against any of the Organization members as an excuse! I don't want her to get any more confused about herself than she already is! Or worse, any more worried about her situation!"

That silenced the male Keyblade wielder and his Dream Eater. While Guthrie may have been quite worried about Robin, that didn't mean he stopped paying attention to the other members of the Straw Hat crew. He recalled back after Xion recovered from her fight against Aokiji; she couldn't remember anything that happened during the fight. And despite people saying that it was fine, Guthrie knew that Xion knew something was wrong. And though they managed to avoid the question of her blackout back at Franky House the first time, this time? They couldn't use the same excuse twice, nor can they hope for the same miracle to come twice.

A groan was heard. The two boys and lone Dream Eater turned and saw Xion waking up.

"Xion! Are you okay?" Allen asked.

The girl opened her eyes and placed a hand on her head. "I... I think so..." she uttered out. As she sat up, she felt some pain in her gut and rubbed against her tummy. "Ow... Why does my stomach hurt...?" she asked out loud.

Despite what they said about telling her the truth, the trio didn't feel like now was the time. "You sure it's not just a stomach ache?" Guthrie asked.

Xion perked up at his voice. "Guthrie?" One look at him, and she remembered what happened before she blacked out. Well, most of it that is. "Wait, what happened to Franky? And the Franky Family?! And... why am I on the roof in the middle of Water Seven?!"

"H-Hey, it's okay. There's nothing to worry about now," Allen assured.

As they feared, however, that answer was no longer cutting it for her. "Don't say that everything's okay! Lately, I've been blacking out in the middle of my battle and find myself away from it! If it was because of exhaustion, I would understand, but my fight with Larxene ended weeks ago! And not only that, but I've been recovering so much ever since the fight against Aokiji! You cannot say I'm being delusional or overreacting when I say that there is something wrong with me! There has to be! It's not normal for me to keep passing out like this!"

Guthrie, Allen, and Chirithy looked at each other with uncertainty. Though they knew they had to tell Xion the truth, though they had decided they would tell the truth, they weren't sure how she would react if she knew.

Xion noticed the looks they had on their faces. As much as she wants answers, one look at their expressions told her that now may not be the time. Taking in some breaths, calming herself down somewhat, she then said, "You know what? Forget it." The boys looked back at her, this time confused. "You guys obviously know something, but you won't tell me. Either it means it's better off unsaid, or I'm not ready for it. Then fine; I'll leave it be."

This caused them to be relieved. "Thanks for understanding, Xion," Allen thanked.

However, the relief left as soon as it came, as Xion continued, "Although... I really wish you guys at least trust me enough to tell me that I'm not ready for the truth, rather than have me say that it's okay to keep it a secret."

Now placed on their faces were slight regrets.

"Hey! There they are!" came a voice.

Confused, the group of pirates faced the source and saw the owner, and a few others, on the roof of another building, all holding their own variety of weapons.

"Don't let them escape!"

"They'll pay for hurting Iceberg-san!"

Xion, who was unconscious while the guys were talking about the rumors going around, was confused with their claims. "Wait, what are they talking about?" she asked.

"No time to answer; just run for it!" Guthrie answered. At that one suggestion, the four pirates ran off.

As they ran, they faintly heard shouting from below, mainly about them being on the rooftops.

"At this rate, the roof won't be safe for us any more!" Chirithy exclaimed.

"No kidding. And there's the Aqua Laguna storm to worry about, too!" Allen added.

"Let's go back down below! There's still the alley!" Xion suggested.

Nodding in agreement to the idea, the group of four jumped off the roof and started to blend in with the shadows.

* * *

After they managed to conceal themselves in the dark alleys, Chirithy snuck out to the open streets to overhear anything of importance, mainly about their situation. Dangerous as it was for him to be out alone, especially with people knowing that he's also a Straw Hat pirate, he can just poof himself away and reappear back with Xion and the boys.

Speaking of, as the three were hiding, Allen and Guthrie got Xion all caught up with why there were suddenly on a run.

"We were framed for attempting to kill the mayor?!" she gasped. Thankfully, she wasn't loud enough to alert anyone of their hidden location.

"That's what it says in the papers," Allen said, handing Xion the very newspaper that spoke of how they were involved with the assassination attempt.

"I highly doubt that any of us actually did it. I mean, I was at the Franky House, or what was left of it at least, all night. You guys were at Merry, especially with... well, you know..." Guthrie trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

"And there's no way that it could be Usopp either..."

The two males kept silent, wondering how they could be framed into doing such an act.

One thing came to Xion's mind about their situation. "Do any of you know where Robin was last night?" she asked.

This caught the pair's attention. "What do you mean?" Guthrie asked.

"Look at this newspaper." She placed down the paper. "It's got my, Luffy, Zoro and Robin's bounty on it. As far as I know, people would only know we're pirates if we have a bounty or if we're around them. What if Robin was at Iceberg's place last night? I'm not saying she was the one who did it, but what if she got involved somehow, and Iceberg only mentioned her name, which miscommunicates to her being the one who tried to kill him, thus leads to us all being involved in the assassination attempt?"

Both Allen and Guthrie kept silent at those words. At first, Xion thought they didn't believe her, thought she may have gone crazy or something. But one look at them... she saw they were considering the option.

"You guys are not disagreeing with me about this..." she muttered. "Do you guys think it's possible?"

"This... is exactly what I was about to say before the Franky Family came," her 'Guardian' said. "I was going to say she might have met someone of her past while she was out with me and Chopper and went with that person. And with what the papers are saying, it's possible that this person is someone that Robin can't go against and provoked her into attempting to kill Iceberg. Or rather... what if they told her to shoot him without killing the guy on purpose? Doing so will cause him to be alive to tell that one of our crew members was involved in the attack? She wouldn't even think of blaming the crew she cares for unless..."

"...Unless someone wanted us to take the fall by using her," Xion finished, catching on to what he was saying. "So someone is forcing Robin to commit the crime, and she's just going along with them for some reason. I wonder if it's the Organization..."

"Doubtful. Those guys are after you, not Robin. Besides, after Larxene and what I read about the other two members you fought, this doesn't sound like a method they would use. Maybe it has to do with the Navy, or maybe the World Government."

"What do you think, Allen? You've been awfully quiet," the vice-captain asked the dancer. This prompted Guthrie into looking over to the Shandian.

"... That would explain why she's with that person..." he muttered, much to the Keyblade wielders' surprise.

"You mean you saw her?!" Guthrie asked. "Why didn't you bring her with you?!"

"If I could, I would've. I was on my way back to inn we were staying to inform Zoro of the Aqua Laguna, when I saw her with someone else nearby. I followed after them, but lost them. I would say I lost them in the crowd, but I had a bird's-eye view."

"What do you mean?" Xion asked.

"They were making a turn into a small alley. I rushed to that alley, but found no trace of them. It's almost like they just disappeared. And trust me, I would know if I saw them exit out from one side or the other."

Hearing that worried them even more. "We need to find Robin. Do you know who that other person looks like?"

"They had a mask on. But whoever this person was, they were big."

"If this person is someone of the Government, we have to save Robin from them," Guthrie decided. "Let's find the others."

Just as Xion and Allen nodded in agreement to the idea, they heard hasty footsteps approaching them. They looked, and saw, to their dismay, Luffy, Nami, Zoro, and Chirithy on Zoro's head... being chased by a group of people holding long saws... heading their way!

"Ah! Xion! Allen! Guthrie!" the captain called and waved.

"Why the hell are you guys being chased now?!" the trio shouted, now joining their crew on the escape.

"There's the rest of them!" a citizen exclaimed.

"None of you are escaping this time!" shouted another.

"Stop right there!" came another.

"How did you get the whole town to find and chase after you?!" Guthrie demanded Luffy.

"Blame Zoro! He led them to us!" the straw hat-wearing pirate defended.

"Like I said, it was going to happen eventually!" Zoro defended.

"We'll play the blame game later! Just run!" Xion shouted.

And so they ran as fast as they could, away from the mob that was still chasing them.

"Xion! Can't you use that freezing magic?! You know! That one you used for that train the other day!" Luffy suggested.

"Do you want to give them more reason to come after us or something?! Even if it will help us escape, I am not going to use my magic on them!"

"She's right! Besides, using a Keyblade against innocent people is treason!" Chirithy shouted.

* * *

Some time of running later, the crew finally managed to lose the mob by hiding under a bridge. By some miracle, Luffy managed to hold them all up and clung onto the bottom edge of the bridge long enough for their pursuers to move elsewhere. Of course, they then dropped into the water when Chopper, in his Heavy Point, practically came out of nowhere and spooked him out. But the most important thing was that they got away.

They were currently hiding out on top of a roof. Thankfully, it didn't seem like anyone was looking from above at this time, especially with Aqua Laguna approaching.

"I guess things have finally calmed down," Zoro sighed.

"'Finally calmed down'?! You had all those shipwrights chasing after you! That's why we ended up getting dragged into it, too!" Nami exclaimed.

"Yes. And then you guys came in and got us involved as well," Guthrie added in.

"Like I said, it was unavoidable," Zoro reasoned.

"It's a good thing Chopper found us. But where's Sanji?" Allen asked.

Chopper looked down at the question. "Well..."

He began to explain to them what happened. How he and Sanji met up with Robin... and what she told them.

"Did Robin really say that?!" Luffy demanded in an enraged tone. Chopper somberly nodded in confirmation.

' _I knew she was bad news,_ ' Chirithy thought, crossing his stubby arms.

Zoro clasped one of his swords. "We all... were prepared for it, right?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Allen asked, the only one not knowing much about the oldest female member.

"Even if it was for a short time, we let Robin, who showed up as an enemy, come on board." The dancer was shocked at this revelation. "It'd be embarrassing if we ran away because we got scared. Isn't it about time for us to settle the matter... as to whether that woman is... a friend or a foe...?"

"She has to be a friend!" Allen exclaimed.

"And how can you be so sure? She said it herself; she wouldn't see us after today," Chirithy argued. "It also sounds like she's declaring to do something that could worsen the situation before the day is over. Look at how big a fuss the attempted assassination of the mayor caused in this town. If it's possible to make the situation worse, there's only one thing she can do."

"This time for sure... assassinate the mayor," Nami realized.

"We can't let that happen!" Guthrie said.

"It's natural to think that way. But we know that she's pinning her crime on us on purpose, so it's possible that this could be a trap to lure us out to the scene of the crime," Zoro said. "If we're at the spot of the assassination carried out tonight, the crime will be easily pinned on us."

"Hey! You make it sound as though Robin is our foe!" Nami told him.

"For once, I agree with Nami here! Robin's a friend!" Guthrie added.

"I'm only talking about the possibility," Zoro corrected. "And you seem sure that Robin won't do what I'm saying."

"It's not that we seem sure of it," Xion corrected, bringing attention to her, Guthrie and Allen. "Earlier, we were talking about the attempted assassination and how Robin is connected to it. In fact, Allen saw her earlier with someone else."

This revelation shocked them.

"You did?!" Chirithy asked.

"Yeah. I didn't get a good look, but something tells me that guy she was with is bad news. I tried following them, but I lost them," the dancer explained.

This made Nami and Luffy perk up, as they recalled something. "Iceberg-san said the same thing," the former informed. "She was with someone wearing a mask. But that can't be any of us. He has to be the reason why Robin suddenly changed."

"Then he's making Robin do bad things?!" Chopper asked.

"That'd be fortunate," Zoro said, hoping it was the case, as deep down, he really didn't want to fight someone who was their friend, even if it was for a short while. "But if this guy's Robin's real friend, that'd be misfortunate."

"And even if I do remember what sort of mask that guy had on, he could just change into a different one..." Allen added in.

"So then, what is our goal?" Nami asked.

"We'll capture Robin," Luffy instantly decided. "Otherwise, we won't know anything."

"True as it may be, don't forget one thing," Xion spoke, as her captain got up. "She's been on the run from the government for about twenty years. To just say that we'll capture her is easier said than done."

"But if we want to know the truth, that's the only way," Nami pointed out.

"Okay. I'll do my best too!" Chopper decided.

"I'll help out any way I can too!" Allen followed. He turned to Guthrie. "What about you? I know you're not a part of the crew at the moment but-"

"Let me join in!" he interrupted and requested Luffy and Xion. "This is not something I can just ignore! I want to help, too!"

As much as the female Keyblade wielder wanted to instantly give the okay, it was this kind of situation that the captain has the last say.

"We need all the help we can get right now," he said. "Now let's go. To the Galley-La Company!"


	10. Against the Shipwrights and the Odds

**Here's another chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds! Now, you will probably despise me for what will happen later, but I assure you, it is not what it seems! So please no flames whatsoever! I have had enough of that from Xion... She was especially scary when this idea came to be. I think I saw life flash before my eyes a number of times... or were those flames? But other than that, let us forget all that scary stuff and start this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"She was with someone wearing a mask. But that can't be any of us. He has to be the reason why Robin suddenly changed."_

 _"That'd be fortunate," Zoro said. "But if this guy's Robin's real friend, that'd be misfortunate."_

 _"So then, what is our goal?" Nami asked._

 _"We'll capture Robin," Luffy instantly decided. "Otherwise, we won't know anything."_

 _"Okay. I'll do my best too!" Chopper decided._

 _"I'll help out any way I can too!" Allen followed._

 _"Let me join in!" Guthrie interrupted and requested Luffy and Xion. "This is not something I can just ignore! I want to help, too!"_

 _As much as the female Keyblade wielder wanted to instantly give the okay, it was this kind of situation that the captain has the last say._

 _"We need all the help we can get right now," he said. "Now let's go. To the Galley-La Company!"_

* * *

That night, as they agreed upon, the Straw Hat crew were at the Galley-La Company. To be exact, they were hiding in a tall tree a distant away from the place, looking down at the group of shipwrights right by the entrance.

"How is it, Chopper? Does it look like something is happening?" Zoro asked the Zoan Devil Fruit user of the group, as Chopper was the one with the binoculars.

"For now, nothing," he answered. "But... they're all carrying weapons, and they look strong."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Nami said. "The shipwrights here even beat pirates."

"We have to be real careful and take action when the time is right. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt," Chirithy said.

"Yeah. If we carelessly plunge in, we'll be in big trouble," Luffy agreed.

Both Nami and Xion sweatdropped and cringed at their captain's words.

"This coming from the one guy who always gets us into trouble in the first place," the female Keyblade wielder questioned.

"Just this afternoon, he jumped in without any plan at all," the navigator pointed out.

As he said that, Allen joined the group. The Shandian left the crew earlier to do a small recon around the building.

"How is it, Allen?" Xion asked.

"Those guys are everywhere. Even the backdoor is heavily blocked by these shipwrights. And the roof is no better. I could've sworn at least one of them spotted me while I was looking around," he answered. "Although, I didn't see any of the ones you described, Nami. I could only guess they were stationed right by Iceberg-san's door."

"Sounds like a possibility," Nami agreed.

"Chopper, we don't know what will happen. Don't miss even the slightest movement," Zoro advised the man-reindeer.

"Yeah," the doctor of the crew nodded, looking back at the group of shipwrights.

"Let us know immediately if you see any movement," Chirithy told him.

"Yep. Got it."

"We'll need eyes around the perimeter as well. Allen, any chance you can keep watch around the building?" Xion asked him.

"Sure. I got enough Breath Dials on me to make several rounds around the place," the dancer answered.

"You should leave some with us, so we can help you refill their juice," Guthrie suggested. "We'll need constant update, so after you go around the building once, come back here. And if you see anything suspicious during your round, return immediately."

"Leave it to me." With that, Allen left some empty Breath Dials with the Keyblade wielders and left the group once more.

"It'll be a long night, so we best not let our guard down. If we miss our chance tonight, we'll have to say goodbye without knowing what happened," Zoro said. "Think that we won't have a way to go after Robin anymore. This is where we find out what we're made of."

"Yeah... We'll definitely capture Robin," Luffy declared.

* * *

Some time later, an explosion suddenly occurred at the front entrance!

"An explosion!" Chopper announced to his shocked friends.

Each and every single one of them was speechless at the scene that had occurred, as the shipwrights down below did what they could to put the fire out. As if that was bad enough, a handful of the shipwrights broke away from the group, chasing after someone who was definitely not one of them. The person they were chasing was doing well evading the shipwrights and even taking down some on their own. Not only that, two others appeared, in which other shipwrights chased after. While none of the pirates knew who the cloaked people were, they had a feeling that Robin may be one of them.

"Ahh... The craftsmen are in a frenzy," Chopper stated, watching the whole thing through the binoculars.

"Yeah. It's gotten quite noisy," Zoro agreed.

"Where's Allen, though?" Chirithy asked. "Wasn't he suppose to come back once he saw something suspicious?"

"It must've happened just after he checked that part of the building. Then again, the explosion seemed to have occurred from the inside," Guthrie guessed.

Xion, on the other hand, was worried. For some reason, she had this weird feeling that something happened to their missing member, and that was worrying her a lot.

"What do we do? Shall we go in soon?" Zoro asked.

"I would think so with this big of a commotion going on," Guthrie said.

They heard nothing in response to the pairs' suggestions. Both Chopper and Chirithy turned to the spot where Luffy was... only to see him gone. "Huh? Where's Luffy?" the pair casually asked.

The rest of the crew turned to where their captain was to be, only to gasp wide-eyed and jaw-dropped in shock to see the rubberman actually missing! "EEEHHHHHHH?! Think thoroughly before you take action! You dumbass captain!" they shouted in unison.

"... Are you just realizing that?" Chopper asked them.

"How did they not hear that?" Chirithy wondered, looking to the frenzy shipwrights at the entrance.

* * *

After noticing that Luffy had gone missing, the crew decided to take action and ran straight to Galley-La Company, Chopper in his Walk Point. Xion broke away from the group to find Allen, unable to shake off this horrible feeling she was having about his situation.

"Seriously... why can't he listen to people's advice?!" Nami questioned.

"If I didn't know how much of a headache he was to you guys before, I most certainly do now," Guthrie said.

"But that's nothing new," Zoro pointed out.

"But... Robin might be in that commotion, right?" Chopper asked. "What are we gonna do?! We have to act carefully!"

"He's right. Not only do we have to avoid the other shipwrights, but we also have to be careful around that group she's with. Who knows how strong they are," Guthrie stated.

"But depending on how you look at it, we've lucked out," Nami said, confusing the guys.

"How so?" Chirithy asked.

"When Luffy marches into enemy territory, do you think he'd go around to the back or the side?"

"Not a chance," Zoro and Guthrie answered.

"Not at all," Chopper and Chirithy followed.

"I bet by now he's marched in from the front by either jumping in or running and now he's getting chased around with no idea where to go, although he made it inside the residence, don't you think?" Nami asked them.

"Yeah, sure do."

"Sounds like it."

"Definitely."

"No doubt."

"Right? From the shipwrights' perspective, Luffy is the ringleader of the culprit group. Once he jumps in, I bet everyone's attention will go to him! In other words, there's no doubt that the guards in the front of the residence has lightened up for now! So we'll be able to go across the opening and mix in with the crowd of shipwrights who're in an uproar!"

"I see. So thanks to Luffy, the best chance to infiltrate is right now, huh?" Zoro asked, catching on to the idea.

"That's convincing! Then, it should be okay to jump in, right?" Chopper asked.

"Reckless our captain may be, that part of him is useful in times like this. It should work!" Chirithy said.

"We'll get to Robin in no time, then!" Guthrie exclaimed. Looking up ahead, he noticed a fence on their right side. "Looks like we can jump over that fence! We going in from there?"

"Yeah! Are you guys ready?!" Nami confirmed and asked.

They gave positive responses and leapt over the fence. However, what they saw once they landed... was not at all expected... The reason? The front is heavily guarded by tons of shipwrights!

"What part of this is light?!" the five pirates questioned, half of them shedding tears at the sight while the other half irritated that things did not really go as planned.

* * *

With their missing captain, he has found himself in a terrible situation...

"Dammit... I can't get out. I wanted to jump into the building, fast and furious, but I'm stuck and can't move!" he complained, as he was stuck between two buildings... Seriously, how in the world did he get himself in that situation?! "I have to hurry... Just wait... Robin!"

* * *

On the other hand, with the vice captain of the crew, she took the return route Allen was to come from to meet up with them, hoping to bump into the Shandian along the way. The female Keyblade wielder even called out Fang and Gunma to help her with the search, the former being used for the Fly-By Knight Link Action. Unfortunately, the missing dancer has yet to be found.

' _Allen... Where are you?_ ' she wondered in worry.

Just then, a hoot was heard. Xion and Fang turned and saw Gunma returning to them.

"Did you find him?" she asked. Gunma nodded in response, and quite frantically at that. Seeing this worried her even more. "Take us to him!" The Peepsta Hoo flew to where Allen was, with Xion and Fang following him.

What she saw when she found him left her horrified and speechless. There Allen lied on some destroyed crate, in a puddle of blood, a hole in his chest. Xion shakily walked to his fallen body and fell to her knees, unable to make any sort of noise. She felt tears forming in her eyes, and began to cry.

' ** _Are you feeling okay?_** ' she heard. ' ** _You know whose fault this is, don't you? Those guys Robin is with? There's no doubt this is their doing. Why are you wasting your time here, crying?_** ' Xion ceased her sobbing at those words. ' ** _You don't have time to waste of tears. What you should be doing... is going in there, find those fools who did the job... and kill them._** '

'... _Kill...?_ ' she mentally repeated.

' _ **That's right. Kill those monsters who took the life of the one person you hold dear. Show them the lack of mercy they clearly did not show him. Do to them what you failed to do last time when Aokiji was close to killing off the two. Unleash the power hidden inside you and do what is right!**_ '

As he spoke, dark wisps appeared around Xion. The girl was seriously and clearly, really considering actually doing that deed. It was not just her; dark wisps also appeared on Fang and Gunma, the pair seemingly struggling with their headaches, as they tried to regain control of themselves.

' _Do... what's right..._ ' she repeated once more in her head, as her eyes started to change color.

At a distance away from where she was, on top of a building, there stood a pair of figures in similar, familiar coats. Both had their hoods up to conceal their faces.

"It seems the plan had worked," one of them said to the other. "Hopefully our leader is right about the amount of time spent for this."

"He is never wrong. Surely you know that," the other figure said. "Still, I do find it ridiculous that we have to go so far for it. I understand this is crucial to his plans, however that does not mean I will completely comprehend with even the mere thought of it returning to our cause."

"Orders are orders. Still, to think this plan actually worked. We really must give that woman some credit for the idea. It's too bad her fate is sealed in this world."

"She matters not. Now then, let us rejoin our acquaintances in the rendezvous." With that, the second figure raised a hand, calling upon a dark portal in which the pair went through.

* * *

Back to the majority of the crew, after jumping to conclusion that Luffy got the shipwrights distracted and deciding to act on that moment, as it turns out, the guy was not around to give the distraction they hoped for. As a result...

"We found them!"

"It's Roronoa Zoro!"

"They showed up at last!"

"Don't let them get away!"

Yeah... Basically they jumped right into a one-sided war zone, with the shipwrights all shooting their guns at the pirate crew. The latter group hastily ran away from them, avoiding the bullets.

"I saw that woman this afternoon, too! After them!"

"That guy was with Starlight Blade Xion! Stop them!"

"Hey! Why isn't Luffy here?!" Nami asked the guys.

"How should I know?! I wanna ask the same question!" Zoro retorted.

"This was your plan, Nami! You tell us what happened to him!" Guthrie pointed out.

Chopper was running and screaming alongside them on two legs in his Walk Point, with Chirithy on his head and screaming alongside him.

"What should we do?!" Chirithy asked.

"Now that it's come to this, it's like we're already caught in the act!" Guthrie exclaimed.

"If we go on the offensive, there's a way to get in," Zoro suggested. He then turned and skidded to a stop, prompting the others to also come to stop as they turned to him in shock.

"What?! Hey, Zoro! What are you gonna do?!" Nami questioned.

"Running around the building won't get us anywhere. We'll openly plunge in from the front and look for Robin."

Those words shocked his friends.

"But they're shipwrights! They're not our enemy, you know!" Chopper tried to reason with him.

"Don't worry. I'll use the back of my swords," he said.

Thinking about what the three-sword-style swordsman said, Guthrie knew he was right. Besides, if Luffy was in their shoes, he'd still be able to get to Robin despite the odds. That thought in mind, he joined Zoro, as the pair prepared their weapons.

"Wait! You too, Guthrie?!" Chirithy questioned.

"If we want to get to Robin, this is the fastest way!" he said. "Stupid as it is, Luffy would've done it and still get to her, wouldn't he?"

"He would," Zoro answered.

The pair rushed towards the shipwrights, to everyone's shock. "Out of our way!" both shouted, easily knocking the guys out and into the air.

"But you're inflicting fatal wounds on them!" the remaining trio shouted.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, shipwrights were also getting beaten left and right. Those remaining were all shaking in fear, as the person who knocked out their allies slowly approached them.

"Hey... What happened?" one of them asked.

"I don't know. A few of them charged in at her at the same time, and yet... She didn't even raise an arm against them!" another shipwright exclaimed.

"And what's with that dark wisp around her?" another questioned.

The one approaching the group was none other than Xion, completely cloaked in darkness, eyes shadowed by her bangs.

"It's their fault... Their fault he died..." she muttered out. "How dare they..."

"We have to stop her! No matter how strong they are, we still have to protect Iceberg-san!" a shipwright shouted. The others let out roars of agreement. Those with firearms shot their guns at her.

As the bullets neared, the wisps around her body extended and whacked them all away; not a single one even landed a scratch on her. Xion raised her head, revealing her now-yellow eyes.

"You're in the way..." she said, finally summoning her Fire of Shandora Keyblade. and the wisps wrapping themselves around her free arm in the form of a claw. "Out of the way!" She rushed in at tremendous speed, knocking the people away in one fell swoop. Once they were rendered unconscious, Xion resumed her leisurely approach into the building.

' _I will make them pay... For what they did to him..._ ' she thought, thinking back to Allen's dead body. ' _Allen... I will have my revenge... None of them... will be left alive._ ' With each thought going through her head, the darkness around her slowly grew.

Unknown to her, on the barely noticeable reflection of a window was herself, mirroring her movement. One noticeable thing about the reflection, however, was an odd smile on her face.

* * *

Back with the others, after dealing with the shipwrights outside, the others finally got to the inside, where there were more shipwrights waiting. Guthrie and Zoro made quick works of them all and knocked them all out.

"Whew... Now that was a work out..." the male Keyblade wielder stated.

"Did you guys have to knock them all out?!" Nami questioned.

"Well, if they didn't, those conscious would either go after them or get reinforcements..." Chirithy pointed out.

"Wow, they're so strong!" Chopper said in awe.

"Oh well. Let's go already!" Nami said, leading the way in.

"Right!" Chirithy nodded, following her.

"Zoro, Guthrie, this way!" Chopper called.

"Yeah," Zoro said, as he and Guthrie followed the trio. Well... Guthrie was.

"Hey, Zoro! Chopper said this way!" the counselor said, shocked that Zoro went to a whole other direction.

"How could you go the wrong direction with us leading you?! A miracle?!" Nami questioned in shock.

"That is nowhere near a miracle!" Chirithy exclaimed, just as shocked.

"Oh. That way," Zoro said... before going off to a completely direction again.

"What the-?! Zoro, get back here!" Guthrie called.

"Nami! Zoro's disappeared!" Chopper informed.

"Miracle!" Nami shouted in disbelief.

"How in the world can he ever get lost?!" Chirithy questioned once more. Just then, he, Chopper and Guthrie sensed something nearby. To their surprise, Heartless appeared around them, consisting of Neo Shadows, Sergeants, Barrel Spiders and Armored Archer.

"Heartless?! Here?!" Guthrie gasped.

"From the shipwrights?! But that can't be!" Chirithy exclaimed.

"What should we do?!" Chopper asked.

"Isn't that obvious?!" Zoro exclaimed. "It's going to be hard to go between kill and not, but hopefully the shipwrights here are the last of them." With that, he charged in, fighting the Heartless with the bladed part of his swords.

"He's not wrong about that. The faster we take these out, the faster we get to Robin," Guthrie agreed, charging in with his Follow the Wind Keyblade.

* * *

Higher up in the building, a group of people gathered in one room. Most of them stood before one lone, injured Iceberg, who stared back at them. He still couldn't believe who these figures, the real culprits behind his attempted assassination, were. How could he? After all, with the exception of Robin, they were his precious shipwright friends, his secretary, and an acquaintance who owned a bar.

"We were undercover for five years. Please don't worry. We didn't cut corners with our work," Lucci spoke. "I do understand how dispirited you are. However, since we can't spend any more time on this matter, we're going to try our best to achieve our goal. If you're thinking of putting up an unwise resistance, I suggest you don't. You know the name 'Cipher Pol', don't you? It's the Government's supreme intelligence agency, with eight bases around the world called CP1 to CP8 by the people. When the Government orders it, they dig up any kind of information in any place."

"I know about them, but only up to CP8," Iceberg said.

"Right. However, we are CP9, the ninth Cipher Pol, a supposedly non-existent unit. Since we possess a certain privilege, we cannot reveal ourselves to the public."

"Privilege?"

"That's right. This is in the name of justice to the end, but where there're citizens who are uncooperative toward the Government, we have permission to kill them."

Iceberg narrowed his eyes at the job description. "How selfish...! Justice cannot be a reason for killing! The World Government has partially changed their thinking."

"Rather than remaining in fear of the weapon's restoration, they decided to awaken it, to make it into a force of justice that can end this Great Pirate Era," Lucci continued. "However, you don't want to help them. You're saying that you don't want to 'save' those people who keep being victimized by pirates around the world."

"Nonsense... If the weapon is restored, the world will only fight over its power. The damage only keeps growing!"

"It seems you don't trust the Government, Iceberg-san."

"I just know the nature of humans, lad."

Unamused with the response, Lucci kicked Iceberg in the face, knocking him down. "Restrain yourself. Just how long are you going to keep acting like you're my boss?" he questioned.

Iceberg lied there, panting as he tried to cope with the pain. Just then, a dark portal opened up near them. While the Cipher Pol members remained indifferent at its appearance, Robin and Iceberg were slightly shocked to see it appear.

"It seems everyone is present," came a voice, as the two figures walked into the room. As soon as they both exited the portal, it closed and disappeared.

"You took your time," Kaku said to the newcomers.

"We found some adversaries that needed to be distracted for you to finish your work here," one of them said. "You seem to have underestimated those pirates. They made quick work of those shipwrights. Not enough to kill them, however."

"That doesn't matter," Kalifa said. "We will get what we came for soon enough. And what of the two of you?"

"I must say, I underestimate her work," the other figure said, looking to Robin. "That plan of yours did wonders to that puppet. Now is only a matter of time until she submits, and will be brought back to our leader. But still... To think you went as far as to kill one of your own. I see that title does you wonders."

Robin can only stay silent at his words, as she thought back to what happened earlier.

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

It was before the explosion happened. Robin and Blueno, the big guy with bullhorn-like hairstyle, were stationed on top of a building near Galley-La Company, waiting for the plan to start. The Den-Den Mushi started ringing, and Blueno answered it.

"Are you ready?" came Kalifa's voice.

"Yeah. We're ready," he answered.

"Then I'll cause a distraction."

"Robin?!" came a voice familiar to the present female of the pair.

Both turned and saw Allen a few buildings away from them. The dancer looked on with wide-eyes, seeing the archeologist with the masked individual. "So you're the one who forced Robin to do what she did! Give her back!" He rushed towards them with his Jet Dial-equipped shoes.

"Is something a matter? I thought I heard a voice on your side," Kalifa spoke though the Den-Den Mushi.

"It's nothing. At least soon enough it won't," Blueno answered, getting ready to attack Allen.

"Please, allow me," Robin spoke, crossing her arms in a familiar pose.

As Allen was closing in on them, he suddenly felt something grab his leg, causing him to trip and fall on his front. "What the-?!" He looked down and saw one of Robin's sprouted arms grabbing hold of him. "Robin! What are you doing?!" he asked, looking back at the woman.

Robin did not answer his question. She simply approached him and used her powers to quickly sprout a chain of arms that landed a punch to his face. The force behind the hit was enough to force him back a few feet, right by the edge of the rooftop.

"Oh... Now I am really starting to hate Devil Fruits..." Allen muttered out, holding his nose. Looking back up, he saw Robin standing over him. She used her Devil Fruit powers to force him back up and held him up, choking the guy. "Robin... What are you...?" he breathed out.

"I'm sorry. But I cannot allow you to follow us any further," she said, pulling her arm back. "This is farewell..."

Next thing Allen knew, she thrusted her arm forward, and he felt immeasurable pain in his gut. Robin pulled her arm back and canceled her powers, causing the guy to fall to the ground below, right on top of some crates.

Blueno joined her, looking down to see if the deed she had done was completely done. From what he can see, there was a hole in Allen's torso, the boy had his eyes closed and did not seem to be breathing, and a trail of blood was seen on the corner of his mouth.

"With this, the two who are with you can also have what they want," Robin said. "I've seen how Demon-san sees him. This may help awaken what they claim was in her this whole time."

"Perhaps so," he agreed. In the Den-Den Mushi, he then spoke, "In any case, we are prepared here."

"Good. Now please carry out your mission after the signal," Kalifa said.

"Understood. In the name of CP9... Ready, Nico Robin?"

"Yes. Anytime," she answered.

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

Robin does feel quite guilty for what she had done, but it was for a good cause, one that no one in that crew would ever understand.

"It's only a matter of time now, until she submits to the darkness, as we have, and comes back to us. Our leader will be pleased when she makes her return," one of the figures said.

"Kaku, check his pulse," Lucci ordered.

The long-nose member of their team obliged and grabbed Iceberg's wrist. "Pardon me for this," he said to Iceberg, placing two fingers on a pulse, and they began their interrogation.


	11. Confrontation with CP9

**Okay, after what happened in the previous chapter, I took it upon myself to go ahead and add in another chapter for this story. I might make another update right after that- okay, I will do another update after that- and I can tell from one review how much you people hate me for what happened last chapter. Or some of you at least. But! It was necessary for what comes next here! And next chapter, you will love me again! I assure you all of that! So that being said...**

 ***camera zooms back and reveals author tied to a chair with a Keyblade pointed to her head, an enraged and furious Xion standing beside her and holding the weapon***

 **Coral: *sweating profusely* Is there any way you can spare me...?**

 **Xion: After you lied about putting that scene in? I think not.**

 **Coral: I'm telling you, it's not what you think! I swear! I may be wicked at times, but all authors are like that! At times!**

 **Xion: If you are delaying the inevitable...**

 **Coral: I'm not! I swear! I will prove it to you next chapter! Honest!**

 **Xion: *getting closer to her face* I find out you are lying... You will be wishing for death to come.**

 **Coral: *crying anime tears* SOMEONE HELP ME!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _What Xion saw when she found Allen left her horrified and speechless. There he lied on some destroyed crate, in a puddle of blood, a hole in his chest. Xion shakily walked to his fallen body and fell to her knees, unable to make any sort of noise. She felt tears forming in her eyes, and began to cry._

 _'_ **Are you feeling okay?** _' she heard. '_ **You know whose fault this is, don't you? Those guys Robin is with? There's no doubt this is their doing. Why are you wasting your time here, crying?** _' Xion ceased her sobbing at those words. '_ **You don't have time to waste of tears. What you should be doing... is going in there, find those fools who did the job... and kill them.** **Kill those monsters who took the life of the one person you hold dear. Show them the lack of mercy they clearly did not show him. Do to them what you failed to do last time when Aokiji was close to killing off the two. Unleash the power hidden inside you and do what is right!** _'_

 _As he spoke, dark wisps appeared around Xion. The girl was seriously and clearly, really considering actually doing that deed, and her eyes started to change color._

* * *

 _"Hey, Zoro! Chopper said this way!" Guthrie said, shocked that Zoro went to a whole other direction._

 _"How could you go the wrong direction with us leading you?! A miracle?!" Nami questioned in shock._

 _"That is nowhere near a miracle!" Chirithy exclaimed, just as shocked._

 _"Oh. That way," Zoro said... before going off to a completely direction again._

 _"What the-?! Zoro, get back here!" Guthrie called._

 _"Nami! Zoro's disappeared!" Chopper informed._

 _"Miracle!" Nami shouted in disbelief._

 _"How in the world can he ever get lost?!" Chirithy questioned once more. Just then, he, Chopper and Guthrie sensed something nearby. To their surprise, Heartless appeared around them, consisting of Neo Shadows, Sergeants, Barrel Spiders and Armored Archer._

 _"Heartless?! Here?!" Guthrie gasped._

 _"From the shipwrights?! But that can't be!" Chirithy exclaimed._

* * *

 _"It seems everyone is present," came a voice, as the two figures walked into the room. As soon as they both exited the portal, it closed and disappeared._

 _"You took your time," Kaku said to the newcomers._

 _"We found some adversaries that needed to be distracted for you to finish your work here," one of them said. "You seem to have underestimated those pirates. They made quick work of those shipwrights. Not enough to kill them, however."_

 _"That doesn't matter," Kalifa said. "We will get what we came for soon enough. And what of the two of you?"_

 _"I must say, I underestimate her work," the other figure said, looking to Robin. "That plan of yours did wonders to that puppet. Now is only a matter of time until she submits, and will be brought back to our leader. But still... To think you went as far as to kill one of your own. I see that title does you wonders."_

 _Robin can only stay silent at his words, as she thought back to what happened earlier._

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

 _"Robin! What are you doing?!" Allen asked, looking back at the woman._

 _Robin did not answer his question. She simply approached him and used her powers to quickly sprout a chain of arms that landed a punch to his face. The force behind the hit was enough to force him back a few feet, right by the edge of the rooftop._

 _Allen looked back up, and saw Robin standing over him. She used her Devil Fruit powers to force him back up and held him up, choking the guy. "Robin... What are you...?" he breathed out._

 _"I'm sorry. But I cannot allow you to follow us any further," she said, pulling her arm back. "This is farewell..."_

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

 _"It's only a matter of time now, until she submits to the darkness, as we have, and comes back to us. Our leader will be pleased when she makes her return," one of the figures said._

 _"Kaku, check his pulse," Lucci ordered._

 _The long-nose member of their team obliged and grabbed Iceberg's wrist. "Pardon me for this," he said to Iceberg, placing two fingers on a pulse, and they began their interrogation._

* * *

"Hurry up!" Nami said to the boys, as they, after somehow managing to defeat the horde of Heartless and getting Zoro to properly follow them, rush to their destination.

"Hey! Are you sure it's this way?" Zoro asked.

"You're one to talk!" Chirithy shouted.

"Don't you ever say that!" Nami followed.

As they ran up the stairs, they couldn't help but notice how badly injured the unconscious shipwrights they passed were. And these were the guys that Zoro and Guthrie didn't face.

"They've been hurt quite badly," Chopper stated.

Just as they reached the next floor, Nami pointed at a pair of doors before them. "Over there! That door is the one! No mistake of it!" she said.

"Many people are down over there too!" Chopper noticed.

"Aren't those guys up ahead the foremen you were talking about, Nami?!" Chirithy also noticed, pointing at a trio of guys closest to the doors.

Just then, the three slowed down slightly, causing Zoro and Guthrie to run past them, to the pair's confusion.

"What are you two...?" the latter slowly questioned.

"Now, you go ahead! Ahead of us! Cut down the door and make a dash!" Nami told them, as she, Chopper and Chirithy pointed them towards the doors.

"What the hell?!"

"Don't order us around!" Zoro shouted after Guthrie.

* * *

Nearby, Luffy, who managed to get out of the pair of buildings he was stuck between, enter the Galley-La Company, meet up with Paulie and making amends with the guy after he realized the Straw Hat Pirates truly had nothing to do with Iceberg's attempt assassination, broke into a room right next to the one Iceberg was resting in.

"Hey, Straw Hat! That's not the right room; it's right next door to this one!" Paulie informed the rubberman, as the pirate captain broke into the room with a battlecry.

"Oh, the next room?" he asked, looking towards a wall separating the room he was in to the right one.

* * *

In the specified area, CP9 got all the information they needed right out of Iceberg. Specifically when they brought up the facts that led to their assumption and suspicions as to where the blueprints to the weapon they were tasked to obtain would be; Franky of the Franky Family, otherwise previously known as Cutty Flam.

"Well, it's not your fault. So many things are happening tonight," Lucci calmly told him. "You're only human. It's just natural that you couldn't hide your consternation."

"I appreciate what you've done for us. We're done with you," Kaku said as a farewell.

"Let's hurry and find Franky," Kalifa said..

"You bastards...!" Iceberg growled, glaring at his former friends.

Just then, a crack appeared on a wall, catching Robin's attention, as she turned to it. At the same time, Kaku and Blueno sensed something cutting cut and turned to the doors. Next they knew, Luffy, Zoro and Guthrie barged right into the room, destroying their entryway while they were at it.

"Where's Robin?!" the captain demanded.

"Luffy!" Robin, Zoro and Guthrie gasped in shock, surprised to see him here for different reasons.

"How bothersome..." Lucci sighed.

It was silent, as the pirates and Paulie panted, catching their breath from running to get to the room.

"Robin! I finally found you!" Luffy shouted.

"Hey, Luffy! Where the hell have you been?!" Zoro demanded.

"Do you have any idea the sort of trouble you got us into when you just disappeared like you did?!" Guthrie questioned the guy.

"Robin! I'm glad I could see you again!" Chopper said to the archeologist.

"You better be grateful for this, woman!" Chirithy followed.

"Hold on a second... What's going on here?" Nami questioned in shock, recognizing the many faces in the room.

She wasn't the only one shocked at this development. As he panted, Paulie looked at the faces of the real culprits, not at all believing what he was seeing before him.

"Well, well, well..." Lucci sighed.

"Straw Hat... Paulie..." Iceberg breathed out.

"Iceberg-san... What the hell... is going on?!" Paulie questioned.

Iceberg lied there, gasping in pain. "Paulie... Why... didn't you run?" he asked the good shipwright.

"What's going on?" he asked again. "This looks... as if... they're the culprits who tried to kill you!" Paulie tried not to consider the possibility, but what he was seeing was too much proof of what he was assuming, as he let out a frustrated roar. "Why are you guys dressed like that?! Hey! Kalifa! Blueno! Kaku! Lucci! Stop joking here, bastards!"

It was then Luffy also recognized who the unmasked individuals were. "Oh yeah! They're some of the shipwrights who were with you! Right?" he asked Paulie.

"Come to think of it, I know that square long-nose guy," Zoro said, recalling when he met one of the individuals.

"But if that's true then..." Chirithy began.

"Could that mean... the assassination was an inside job?!" Nami finished.

"What? What do you mean?" Chopper asked.

While they were focused on the faces of former shipwrights in the room, Guthrie noticed a certain pair of figures in the room. "Those coats... The Organization is here too?!"

His words caught the other Straw Hats' attention, as they finally took notice of the two members.

"Huh?! What's the Organization doing here?!" Chirithy gasped.

Rather than answering the question, Lucci said to Paulie, "Paulie, to tell you the truth, we're Government intelligence agencies. Well, you'd forgive us if we apologized, right? We were fellow shipwrights who worked together building ships every day. If you can't believe me because this is too sudden, shall I step on Iceberg's face or something?"

Each words coming out of his mouth was slowly angering Paulie enough, but when Lucci made that suggestion, that just enraged him, while Luffy, who knew and thought these guys were friends, was just speechless at the sight before him.

"Stop messing around! That's enough... After all, the bull-masked man's voice I heard earlier is the same as yours! Dammit, you bastard! You can talk just fine! How dare you mock us?!" He charged in at Lucci.

Iceberg, who knows well of the gap between their strengths, shouted out, "Don't, Paulie!"

He didn't stop, as Paulie engaged his attack. " **Pipe Hitch Knives**!" He tossed a rope with a spiraling row of knives at Lucci. Before they struck him, he disappeared. No... it wasn't that he disappeared; it was more that he swiftly dodged the attack and made his way towards his former employee.

" **Shigan.** " With that one word, Lucci poked his pointer finger at Paulie's chest, and plunged right into it. "You still haven't learned your lesson yet, Paulie?"

Paulie didn't say anything, rather he couldn't for he was already so injured to begin with, and dropped his rope. Once he felt lack of movement, Lucci removed his finger from his chest, causing Paulie's body to tumble, but not enough to fall down.

"Hey! Rope guy!" Luffy called in worry.

"Why...? You guys..." Paulie spoke, kneeling on one knee.

"Stop this pointless resistance," Lucci advised. "We've mastered the techniques beyond the limits of human abilities. After years of training, these techniques, called the 'Rokushiki', allow human bodies to be a match for weapons. Once one masters them, he alone is as strong as 100 people together."

As he knelt down, Paulie thought back to the good memories he had with the people who were once his friends. Thinking back, he still couldn't believe what was happening now was happening.

"Why are you guys...?" he tried to ask again.

Lucci grabbed him by the shoulder. "Well, never mind. Either way, you're gonna be killed," he said, raising a hand. "This is sad, but my friend..."

"Stop it! You jerk!" Luffy shouted, as he stretched his leg out for a rubbery kick at Paulie's would-be murderer.

Lucci wasn't fazed, as he easily caught the kick one-handedly, while Hattori, who was on Lucci's shoulder the whole time, flew off in surprise.

Though Luffy was shocked that his kick was easily caught, he made use of his body to jump towards them. " **Gomu-Gomu no...** "

Lucci released his foot. " **Tekkai.** "

" **Gatling!** " Luffy unleashed his swift and fast punches at Lucci. However, to his crew's shock, his punches weren't doing a thing to him. The Devil-Fruit user ceased his attack and landed, just as puzzled as them. "What? It didn't work at all!"

"Annoying... **Soru.** " Lucci disappeared once more. Next thing Luffy knew, he reappeared and plunged a finger in his neck. " **Shigan.** "

If it was for a normal human, they would've died right on the spot. Luffy, being a man made of rubber, was instead sent flying near the doors where his shocked crew was.

"Luffy!" Zoro gasped.

"You okay?!" Guthrie asked.

All he got as a response to his question was Luffy coughing, but otherwise alive.

"If your body was normal, you would've gotten a hole in your neck and died instantly, rubberman," Lucci pointed out, as Hattori landed back on his shoulder.

Luffy stretched his arm out again, not to attack Lucci this time, but to grab Paulie and pull him to where he and the others were, where it was safe.

Lucci couldn't comprehend with the meaning of such action and asked, "What are you doing, Straw Hat?"

"You were planning to kill him, weren't you?!" Luffy said. "I thought you were all shipwright friends who worked together!"

"Up until earlier, yes. But that's no longer the case."

Luffy became more irritated with the response. "Then you guys really are traitors?! Fine, then! At any rate, I promise him that we'd beat the crap out of those who're trying to kill Ice pops together!"

Iceberg stared at him in shock. It wasn't because he made a promise with Paulie, but that he was definitely going to see it through.

"Why are you siding with Paulie?" Kaku asked.

"Because I have some business with you people, too!" Luffy answered. To one certain person amongst their group, he then demanded, "Hey, Robin! Why are you with jerks like them?! If you want to leave, tell us the reason!"

"He's right! They said they work for the Government, so why?!" Nami asked.

"Not just that, but the Organization is with them too! What are you thinking?!" Guthrie followed.

It was silent at those questions. They hoped she had a good reason for betraying them and going with their one pair of enemies, but instead, Robin said, "You're not listening, are you? I did say goodbye to Cook and Doctor. You didn't tell them?"

"I did! But I can't accept it, either! Why, Robin?!" Chopper demanded.

"To make my wish come true. A wish that can never come true if I'm with you!" Everyone was speechless at her reason. That was why she decided to leave? "In order to make it happen, I don't care what sacrifices need to be made!"

Despite what she said, Guthrie could see it in her eyes. They were wavering. If she meant it, her gaze would've been strong and solid. But they were wavering? ' _Is she speaking the truth?_ ' Guthrie wondered.

"That's why... you set your friends up as assassinations without hesitation?" Zoro questioned.

"Don't say such things. Be glad you have it easy, compared to one missing member of your crew already," one of the hooded figures said.

"What are you talking about?" Guthrie demanded.

"Oh... That's right. You have three missing members, don't you? One who went off on his own, one who was doing recon, and one who checked on the recon. Though I must say, it really is a shame... You haven't even had a chance to properly say your farewells, not like you are with Robin at the very least. And here I thought I was a sadist, but seeing what she did to one of your own? Classic."

"What are you saying?" Chirithy asked.

"He means Robin had killed off one of your missing members... in cold blood," the other figure answered.

This revelation left the crew speechless. Robin had done what?! She did what?!

"You're lying! Robin would never do that!" shouted Guthrie, who was in the most disbelief than any of them.

"He's right! Robin is not that kind of person!" Nami agreed.

"It's not a lie," Blueno spoke. "I saw what she did with my own eyes. And all so our partners, the Organization, can finally get their missing tool."

Knowing well of their goal and target, Luffy shouted, "Hey! Xion is not a tool; she's a person like the rest of us!"

One of the hooded figures placed a hand on his head and shook his head. "It's one thing for that puppet to think she's ever a least bit a someone, but she even fooled others into thinking that as well? I truly do question how much it wishes to be anything like even us."

Guthrie snapped out of his shock, as he retorted, "Xion is not an 'it' or a puppet! She's 100% human like any of us are! Speaking of, she was one of you, wasn't she?! How can you be so cruel to her?!"

"Because it is the truth. It was not born like any of you were nor us. It is no more than a mere puppet, used for our master's plan. And given the time spent, it should be ready for its destiny."

Guthrie couldn't believe any of what was being said and shouted, "Shut up! Robin, this is the group you want to go with?! Why?! And tell me what they said is not true at all! Tell me you didn't kill Allen!"

"This is insane!" Iceberg shouted, bringing attention to him. "That woman is... Do you realize what you're about to do, Robin?!"

"You no longer have the right to say anything!" Robin told him. "Keep your mouth shut!" She then used her Devil Fruit powers to restrain him, injuring him in the process.

"Iceberg-san!" Paulie called in worry.

"I won't let anybody get in my way!" Robin exclaimed.

"Hey Robin! What are you doing?! Do you really mean it?!" Luffy demanded.

"Robin, what happened to you?!" Chopper asked. "Are you really our enemy now? Robin!"

"Robin..." came a voice behind them.

Everyone turned to the halls outside the room and saw Xion there, Fire of Shandora in her hand, and eyes shadowed.

"Xion! You're here!" Chirithy exclaimed.

"You're slow. What took you so long?!" Zoro asked.

"So the puppet has arrived at last," one of the figures said.

Nami noticed that she was the only one who was there. "Xion, where's Allen? I thought you went to get him," she asked.

Xion went unusually silent at the question. Though the silent was for one reason, they assumed the silent was for another reason.

"Xion-nee... Where's Allen...?" Chopper asked once more.

Xion simply tightened her grip around her Keyblade. That one act of silence was enough for the Straw Hats to look back at Robin in shock.

"Robin... Tell me it's a misunderstanding," Guthrie pleaded. "What about your dream? I thought you want to find the Rio Poneglyph! We made a promise!"

Robin was silent for a few seconds, until she answered, "All you misunderstand is my intention. And besides, 'we' never made a promise. You did to me."

The male Keyblade wielder couldn't believe what he was hearing at all. Robin really thought so little of them?

Lucci stood between the two. "Sorry, I need you guys to stop now," he said. "We have to find an important person now, so we're in a hurry."

"As are we," one of the Organization members stated. "Come, puppet. Surely now you wish to return to us."

"Give us one good reason why she would ever go with you!" Luffy demanded.

"Is it not obvious?" the other member asked. "Why do you think Robin killed off one of your friends? It was to get Xion to finally submit to the darkness that she's had for so long, for him to take control of at last."

"'Him'? You mean your leader?" Chirithy asked.

The member calling Xion a puppet tilted his head. "Why would you think that? Surely you guys know, don't you? Of the other soul in that puppet. We are not waiting for our leader's darkness to complete its hold on her, when she doesn't have any of it; we are waiting for her own darkness to grow enough for the other soul to take control. And I believe-"

Before he could finish that sentence, a large and dark fireball was shot towards him, one that exploded upon impact. Everyone was shocked at the development, as they turned to the source, where Xion stood with her free arm up. Her body was coated in the dark wisps, with the wisps on her left hand forming claws.

"It was you..." she spoke. "You killed him... Kill... Kill...! Kill!" She lifted her head, revealing her yellow eyes, so much like a Heartless.

Xion then rushed and disappeared in shadows, causing everyone to look around in search for her. Next they knew, she reappeared right above Robin and struck her down with her Keyblade, hard.

"You're the killer! I will have your head!" she shouted. As she went for another hit, one of the hooded figures got in her way and quickly disarmed her. Before she could recover her, he grabbed and restrained her.

"Well, this has become quite a surprise..." he said, as she struggled in his arms. "It seems her darkness is stronger than anticipated. Even the other soul within her is having trouble controlling it."

"You must be daft; that is not its darkness. Do not forget who that other soul is. It is more that the body has yet to cope with it. Adding to its deepest denial of what it is, I've a feeling he has yet to gain complete control over the body. Rather, it is more that the darkness in it has yet to submit to him," the other figure assumed.

"Hey! Stop talking about Xion like she's not a person!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy's right! Even though she's not acting like it now, Xion's clearly a person just like any of us!" Nami agreed.

"Yeah! Xion's just as human as we are! She can express emotions like any human can! She has a heart like any of us!" Guthrie exclaimed.

"A heart?" the figure not restraining Xion repeated. He then let out a small chuckle at the word, rather the thought. "You really think a puppet, a fake like it, has a heart? Did she never tell you anything about itself? Then again, there were reports that it apparently does not remember much."

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked.

"Something that does not matter to any of us here," Lucci interrupted. "Kalifa. How much time is left?"

"Five minutes," she answered, to their confusion.

"I know this is sudden, but this building is to be set aflame in five minutes," he said, changing their confusion to shock.

"What did you say?!" Luffy asked.

"Fire is an effective tool for destroying various types of evidence. If you don't want to burn to death, you should leave the building immediately. Well of course, that is if your could."

Knowing a dare and a challenge when they hear one, everyone prepared themselves for combat.

"Well, you pirates and Government agencies can have your fun. We, on the other hand, have a mission of our own to carry out, and a boss to return to," one of the figures said. He turned to his accomplice who was still holding the struggling Xion. "I assume you can resume your hold on her long enough for our return?"

"She has gotten stronger since the darkness took over, but she's not going anywhere," he assured.

"Screw it! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Xion shouted. "I'll kill you all before you even take me there!"

"Be silent, puppet. It is time for us to return home." The figure called upon his portal once more.

The second it appeared, Luffy and the others panicked, knowing what it meant.

"Hey! Stop right there!" the pirate captain shouted, charging at him.

" **Soru.** " Lucci, unfortunately, got in his way and kicked him back to the door.

"Luffy!" Guthrie cried out. He then tried his luck as he charged at the pair of Organization members.

" **Rankyaku.** " Kaku intercepted by sending some kind of air blades from his legs, causing Guthrie to block them all with his Keyblade.

" **Sonic Blade!** " He then dashed past the other CP9 members and made his way to the hooded figure holding the still-struggling Xion.

The other hooded figure saw the boy approaching and quickly got in the way, calling upon a massive blade, a claymore to be exact, and easily blocked the attack. Once he locked eyes on Guthrie's Follow the Wind, he seemed intrigued. "A Keyblade from a boy I don't know of. You must be the puppet's guardian. And a failed one at that," he said.

Guthrie glared at him for his words. "What was that?!"

"From this strike alone, I can tell. You're even weaker than Roxas and his Somebody. Much weaker, in fact." He then knocked Guthrie back and, without giving him much time to recover, swung his large weapon at him, sending him flying even further. "This... is the supposed guardian? How insulting." He glanced to his comrade and ordered, "Go on ahead. This won't take long."

"Understood," he nodded, dragging Xion towards the portal.

"No! Xion!" Nami shouted.

"Xion-nee!" Chopper cried out.

"Bastard...! I said... LET ME GO!" As Xion shouted those three words, the dark wisps around her suddenly bursted out, forcing her captor to release her and be sent flying. Not only that, the wisps started to cover her body and clothes, dying them all black, with her arms growing claws. Adding her glowing yellow eyes, Xion seemed a lot like...

"A Heartless?!" Guthrie gasped in shock, as were the rest of the crew, as Xion let out a ferocious roar. CP9 looked at her with wide eyes, while the Organization members seemed to remain indifferent.

"So its darkness, its 'feelings' for that dead pirate, are so strong even it cannot control it while it's at its peak. I think I understand a little of what our leader see in that puppet now," the member with the claymore simply stated.

"She's not an 'it'! What the hell did you do to her?!" Guthrie demanded.

"I did nothing. That darkness is all that puppet's. It just cannot control its own power, so much so that it became a Heartless itself."

"Liar! There's no way that's Xion!" Nami exclaimed.

"Yeah! Xion-nee is not a Heartless!" Chopper agreed.

"You say that, and yet..." Xion went to get a jump at the hooded figure, swiping her claws at him. The hooded figure ducked under her swipe and did a front flip, planting his feet in Xion's front and tossing her back to the others. "See for yourself!"

Once Xion landed on her hands and feet, she glared back at the enemy.

"Hey Xion! Are you okay?!" Luffy asked, rushing to her side.

Chirithy, recalling the previous times Xion was like this as did Guthrie, quickly warned, "No stop! Don't go any closer!"

Luffy didn't heed the warning, for once he was within arm's distance, Xion slammed his head down to the floor. This action caught her friends off guard.

"Hey, Xion! What are you doing?!" Zoro questioned.

"No don't!" Guthrie shouted. "This happened the previous times too! She doesn't know who is friend or foe here!"

"Then what do we do?!" Nami asked.

"For now, just don't get in her way. I know you want to help, but as she is now, it's dangerous to do just that."

As much as they don't like the idea, they knew it was the best one so far, especially when they don't know much of Xion's new situation as her fellow Keyblade wielder and his Dream Eater does at the moment.

"In any case, they really intend on eliminating us. It also seems that Nico Robin wants to be on their side," Zoro said, looking back to their real opponents. "Luffy, were you able to accept Robin's leaving the ship?"

It took Luffy a while, but he finally managed to get his head out of the floor. "Of course not!" he answered at last.

"Well, you don't have to shout like that," Lucci calmly said. "Soon several rooms in the first floor will burst into flames. Well, the culprits are pirates. Things like this can happen."

"You bastards...!" Paulie growled, not believing the guy was shrugging off the idea like it was nothing.

"To think that you'd do as you please while pretending someone else did it..." Nami said. "You sure have bad tastes!"

"And you're suppose to be on the side of justice!" Chirithy added in.

"You guys are already criminals. No harm done," Blueno pointed out.

Robin, who had recovered from Xion's attack, turned to the windows and lifted her hood. "Well then, I'll be leaving first now."

"Yeah, you've completed your job. Thanks," Lucci permitted.

"Wait, Robin! I won't allow it!" Luffy shouted.

Robin didn't care what he said, as she simply said, "Goodbye."

"Robin wait!" Guthrie called.

"Don't... let Nico Robin go..." Iceberg weakly told them.

Luffy charged in at the archeologist with Guthrie and Xion following. "Where are you going this time when we finally found you?!" the captain demanded.

"Robin! Don't go!" the counselor shouted.

Blueno and the pair of hooded figures got in their way.

"Out of the way!" Luffy shouted.

" **Tekkai,** " Blueno muttered, taking the full force of his kick.

Guthrie swung his Keyblade at the figure with the claymore, while Xion swiped her claws at the other figure. Both easily blocked the strikes, with the unarmed figure summoning a pair of lances as his weapons.

Luffy, shocked that his kick did nothing to Blueno, landed back on his feet. "Why are their bodies so hard?!"

"Our bodies are well trained. We can raise our bodies' solidity to be as hard as iron crust," Blueno explained.

"Just from training? What sort of hellish training did you guys go through to do that?" Guthrie questioned.

Since his eyes were on his opponent as he asked that, the claymore-user answered, "Flattering as it is that you think we of the Organization can also do what they of CP9 can, we don't need such tricks." He then forced Guthrie away and charged in with his claymore once more. He swung his claymore down at him, knocking Guthrie down to the floor and created a shockwave, dealing extra damage to him, as he let out a scream in pain.

"Guthrie!" Chirithy cried out in worry.

Xion continuously tried to land at least a scratch on the lance-user, as she swiftly and ferociously clawed the defending member. "Gotta say, you were kind of weak before," he spoke. "And though you've gotten stronger, what is strength if you can't control it?" He then used a wind magic similar to and stronger than Aero and blasted Xion away from him.

"Xion-nee!" Chopper gasped.

"Out of our way!" Luffy shouted, using his Gatling attack at Blueno.

" **Kami-e.** " Rather than taking the hit, this time Blueno was avoiding each and every punch with ease.

"He's dodging all those punches so easily for someone big!" Chirithy exclaimed in shock.

"He's fluttering like paper!" Nami noticed.

As the trio were fighting, Robin was taking her leisure leave, in which Guthrie noticed. "Robin... wait!" he wheezed. His opponent raised his claymore off him, only to whack the boy back to the doors, away from the archeologist.

Luffy also noticed the woman getting away and glared at his blocker, wanting to end the fight quickly. "Why you! **Gomu Gomu no...** "

" **Soru.** "

" **Pistol!** " Using his signature move, Luffy struck with his stretched out fist. However, before his attack hit, Blueno disappeared. "He disappeared again?!"

"If your legs are so tremendously strong that it appears as if you disappeared..." Luffy glanced and saw Blueno behind him and quickly went for another punch. " **Geppo.** " However, before his punch landed again, the CP9 member suddenly moved and jumped high into the air. "You can even kick the air and float," he finished his statement.

All the pirates were shocked at what was being seen before them. "He's flying! What the...?" Chopper gasped.

It was then Kalifa and Kaku joined in on the action, as they both charged towards Luffy.

" **Rankyaku,** " the two spoke, as they kicked another air blade at the distracted rubberman, striking him and forcing him back.

Of the four who has yet to joined in, Zoro sensed something else about the attack. "You guys! Duck!" he warned.

Though confused, Nami, Chopper, and Chirithy did as told. "Why?" the navigator asked.

Next they knew, as Luffy was sent flying out of the room, the walls by the door suddenly got a large crack on them, as if something cut those walls.

"A slash attack... from just a kick?!" Guthrie grunted, as he healed himself with Cura.

Nami looked at the cut in shock. "You mean this cut on the walls is really from their kick?!" she questioned.

"That's possible if you can kick fast enough to cause a gust of sharp wind," Kalifa explained. "We call it Rankyaku."

Zoro and the recovered Xion rushed into the fray, facing off against Kaku and the Organization member's lance-user respectively. Once the green-head swordsman crossed blades with the long-nose CP9 member, the latter spoke, "We met on your ship, didn't we, Roronoa?"

Zoro pulled out a sword, in which he also did, and locked blades with each other again. "You aren't a shipwright, then?" the pirate asked. "Then, could that assessment of our ship you made be..."

Kaku knew where he was going with that and said, "Unfortunately, I made the assessment of the ship seriously."

Zoro eventually finally pushed him back. "That's indeed unfortunate." The pair then crossed blades with each other.

Xion, on the other hand, was now not only dealing with the lance-user, but also the claymore-user of the Organization. Her swift, strong, fierce, and wild attacks were giving the pair quite some trouble as they stayed on the defensive, even with the lance-user conjuring a barrier made of Aero magic.

"It seems her power is stronger than anticipated," the lance-user said. "Truly, it makes me wonder if she had been holding back this whole time."

"Don't be a fool. Don't forget where its strength at the time really comes from. And that strength now is not its own," his companion said.

As much as Guthrie wanted to join in and help Xion, he looked past them and saw Robin opening the windows, making her escape. "Robin wait!" he called, causing her to pause. "We're not done talking yet!"

"Yes we are," she retorted. Turning back with a cold gaze, she then said, "I'm never seeing you guys again."

Breaking Kaku's blades, Zoro yelled, "Luffy! Guthrie! Hurry up and catch Robin!" The two nodded and charged as fast as they could towards the woman.

"Roronoa! You're quite confident, aren't you? Taking your eyes off me!" Kaku stated. Next thing the Pirate Hunter knew, Kaku plunged his pointer finger into his chest, thrice, causing him to cough out some blood and kneel down in pain.

"Ah! Zoro!" Chopper cried out.

"We don't need bullets to shoot through human bodies," Kaku said.

Back to Luffy and Guthrie, Lucci easily caught the rubberman by the head, while the lancer Organization member got in his way.

"You... bastard...! Let me go!" Luffy demanded, as he struck Lucci in the face, the latter who is unfazed by the hits while his bird was shocked that the pirate had the guts to dare do such a thing.

"Luffy got caught easily!" Nami spoke in shock.

"Out of my way!" Guthrie shouted, throwing his Keyblade in a Strike Raid.

Unfortunately, due to the Aero Shield, his Keyblade was redirected away from his foe, to his shock. "You have to do better than that, boy," the Organization member said.

As for Xion vs her opponent, the Organization member knocked the girl back by slamming his claymore down, calling upon some shockwaves that knocked her back. Before she could get back up, he quickly slammed her head down and pinned her to the floor.

"You have become a lot more trouble than you are worth, puppet," he said, keeping the struggling Heartless girl down.

"Go, Nico Robin," Lucci told the former Straw Hat pirate.

Robin took that as her cue and her chance, as she walked to the edge of the window.

"I won't let that happen." She stopped, her foot positioned on the windowsill. Guthrie was able to see her from his position. "I refuse this to be the end!" he stated determinately. "I know I have been making a lot of mistakes recently, but not stopping you from making a stupid move like this is one mistake I won't let happen!"

Guthrie tried to rush to Robin, but his hooded opponent got in the way once more. Both of them clashed their weapons upon one another, the Organization member not giving Guthrie an inch. Through his struggle, he peered around him to see Robin look back at him for a moment, then as she turned away, she said something that was quiet, but to the Keyblade wielder, it was clear.

"I'm sorry... Guthrie." And with that, she leapt out of the window, vanishing from sight.

"Robin!" Nami and Chopper called out.

Everyone went silent after that, as half the people in the room couldn't believe their former crew member really left them like she did.

"Robin! No!" Guthrie shouted, as he tried slip past his enemy after the archeologist. However, the lance-user was blocking his every attempt to head to the window. Enraged that the guy before him was stopping him from getting to the person he cares about, Guthrie called his Keyblade back and clashed with the lance-user. "Stop getting in my way! **Aeroga!** " He unleashed his strong Aero magic at the guy. It may be because of his barrier or it may be because he was a master of such magic, but the spell was redirected away, puzzling Guthrie once more.

"Did you truly think such magic will harm me?" he questioned. "I feel insulted."

As he said that, Lucci tossed Luffy to one side of the room.

"Luffy/Zoro!" Nami and Chopper called in worry.

"How in the world are they so strong...?" Chirithy questioned. "The Organization out of the way, no matter what world, humans should not be this strong!"

"What are you people?" Paulie asked.

"We've lived in a different environment," Lucci simply answered. "Ever since we, CP9 members, can remember, we've been prepared to risk our lives for the Government and trained to surpass the limits of human abilities. As a result, we've mastered the superhuman techniques called the Rokushiki. I'm sure you've fully learned by now that the four of us, who have been entrusted with the World Government's vital tasks, are in a whole different league from you guys, a mere pirate group." At this, both Luffy and Zoro found the strength in them to get back up. "This is a world-class top secret. It's not a matter that people like you can get involved in."

"Lucci. It's about time for the igniters to go off. We have to hurry, too," Kalifa warned.

"Yeah. But this is a rare occasion. Let me show you something interesting before we go." As soon as Lucci said that, his body suddenly started to transform, to their shock.

"Is that... what I think it is...?" Guthrie asked.

"Lucci... What the hell are you...?" Paulie questioned.

"He's huge!" Luffy gasped.

Soon enough, Lucci stood tall, about two or three times his normal size, with fur all over his body and claws, looking a lot like a humanoid leopard. "Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Leopard," he told them.

"A leopard human..." Zoro breathed out.

"What's with that appearance...? What the hell are you?!" Paulie asked again.

Rather than answering, Lucci looked and noticed smoke coming from the halls. "Looks like the fire has started to spread," he simply said.

Paulie slowly and painfully got up to his feet. "I don't care if you're a leopard human or what, but I won't let you lay a finger on Iceberg-san!" he vowed.

It was then, however, Chopper realized something. "Oh no! Carnivorous Zoan types are more brutal!" he informed.

"That's right. Logia types, Zoan types, Paramecia types... Many unique powers exist. Genuine physical augmentation is the trait of Zoan types. The more we train, the stronger we get," Lucci added on to the info. "The Zoan type is the strongest species when it comes to close attacks."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear stuff about monsters like that!" Paulie shouted.

"You're not the only one who does not wish to waste time here," the Organization member pinning Xion down said.

"Indeed. We especially have to take care of your guys before we get wrapped up in flames," Lucci agreed.

Voices were heard from down below. "Lucci. The craftsmen are coming upstairs," Kalifa told him.

"Don't worry. They can't make it this far. **Rankyaku!** " Lucci unleashed a powerful kick, one that left a clean cut on the wall just above the doorway. It did not stop there, as the slash attack continued on to out the building, causing the place to collapse.

Once it started to fall, Chirithy, out of fear of getting crushed, poofed himself away. Nami, on the other hand, tried running in the room to avoid getting crushed by the debris, but couldn't move fast enough.

"Nami!" Chopper helped her out by tackling her out of the way.

The navigator fell and hit the floor. Once she heard the falling of the debris coming to a stop, she opened her eyes and saw, to her horror, the debris fell on top of Chopper, with the man reindeer nowhere to be seen. "Chopper!" she cried out.

The sound of her voice calling the name of their doctor caused Xion to cease her struggle, as she looked over to where the debris were. The Organization member holding her down raised a brow under his hood in confusion at the sudden change in action.

"Chopper! Hey, can you hear me?! Chopper!" Nami called.

As Xion looked at the scene, whatever human part that was left of her widened her eyes in shock, taking in what had occurred. She had just and already lost Allen, but now... she lost Chopper too...? She lost the two people important to her... in one night...?!

' _ **Why are you still just lying there?**_ ' she heard. ' _ **You lost another person close to you, and you're just going to lie there? Are you really just going to let them continue to do what they want? Do you really care about the two who died at all? Now is the time to fight back. Stop holding back your darkness already! Accept its power... Submit to it! Inflict pain to them the way they had to you!**_ '

Like a flick of a switch, the darkness that covered Xion darkened and seemed to thickened, much to her captor's confusion.

Meanwhile, with the CP9, they stared down at Paulie and Iceberg. The former was helping the latter to his feet to help him escape from the place. The sight of his former friends standing before him, with the clean intention to kill, teared the rope-user up inside.

"I... At least... I've always thought of you guys as my friends!" he told them, shedding tears at how things came to be like this.

"... It was just you," Lucci cruelly said, as he stepped closer to the pair of injures.

However, before he could go for the kill, he was suddenly punched by a rubbery fist. "Pigeon jerk!" Luffy roared out.

"Straw Hat!" Paulie gasped.

As Luffy came closer to beat Lucci up, especially for trying to kill someone who was once even his comrade, the next thing that happened was horrifying to everyone. Lucci plunged a clawed pointer finger into his chest. " **Shigan.** "

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted.

While the Paramecia-type Devil Fruit user held his bleeding chest, heaving for good air, Lucci grabbed him by the head and lifted him up. "Have a nice flight off the island!" The Zoan user then proceeded to toss Luffy right at a wall. Not only did he break through it, he was sent flying away from the building.

"Luffy!" Nami cried out.

"You bastard!" Zoro cursed, as he charged at Lucci.

"How dare you do that to Luffy!" Guthrie shouted, also charging in at the guy.

" **Tekkai.** " Lucci hardened his raised left arm and used it to block both their strikes, as the pair did what they could to at least try to chip the beastly arm. Unfortunately, Lucci proved to be much stronger, as he pushed the pair away and landed a powerful kick on Zoro, sending him flying away from the building as well.

"Zoro!" Nami gasped.

Guthrie just stared at the pair of holes the leopard man made when he sent the two strongest of the crew flying away, shocked that there was someone this strong in any worlds.

"You two are left," Lucci spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts, as he looked up and saw the guy approaching him.

Before he could even raise an arm to grab the boy, the dark shadows around Xion suddenly bursted once more. Like before, it forced her captor off her. Unlike before, however, this time everyone felt something from this burst of dark aura. This feeling was dark, with a strong sense of dread, to the point where Hattori flew off Lucci's shoulder and flew around the room, coo-cooing.

Everyone turned to the source and was shocked with the sight. Standing to her feet was Xion, or what should be her at least. Her skin and clothes still bathed in darkness, there were many changes to her appearance. For one thing, she had a horn growing out from the left side of her head, her left arm was monstrous bulky, and she had what seemed like a bat wing on the right side of her back. Her lips were also dyed red with red sharp teeth showing.

"Is that... you, Xion...?" Nami asked.


	12. Shocking Reveals and Truths

**After seeing that KH3 DLC trailer, I told myself to drop my 3DS, go to my account, and type another chapter of SCP right this second. If the chapter feels short to you still, I apologize, it was the best I could do for this chapter. But! There is good news in this chapter. Good news that will leave you all wondering until next chapter, where everything will be explained. So! That being said, I hope you all will enjoy this new chappy~!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Xion-nee... Where's Allen...?" Chopper asked._

 _"Sorry, I need you guys to stop now," he said. "We have to find an important person now, so we're in a hurry."_

 _"As are we," one of the Organization members stated. "Come, puppet. Surely now you wish to return to us."_

 _Before he could finish that sentence, a large and dark fireball was shot towards him, one that exploded upon impact. Everyone was shocked at the development, as they turned to the source, where Xion stood with her free arm up. Her body was coated in the dark wisps, with the wisps on her left hand forming claws._

 _"It was you..." she spoke. "You killed him... Kill... Kill...! Kill!" She lifted her head, revealing her yellow eyes, so much like a Heartless. As she went for a hit, one of the hooded figures got in her way and quickly disarmed her. Before she could recover her, he grabbed and restrained her._

 _"Well, this has become quite a surprise..." he said, as she struggled in his arms. "It seems her darkness is stronger than anticipated. Even the other soul within her is having trouble controlling it."_

 _"I know this is sudden, but this building is to be set aflame in five minutes," Lucci said, to the pirates' shock._

 _"What did you say?!" Luffy asked._

 _"Well, you pirates and Government agencies can have your fun. We, on the other hand, have a mission of our own to carry out, and a boss to return to," one of the hooded figures said. The figure called upon his portal once more._

 _" **Sonic Blade!** " Guthrie dashed past the CP9 members and made his way to the hooded figure holding the still-struggling Xion._

 _The other hooded figure saw the boy approaching and quickly got in the way, calling upon a massive blade, a claymore to be exact, and easily blocked the attack. Once he locked eyes on Guthrie's Follow the Wind, he seemed intrigued. "A Keyblade from a boy I don't know of. You must be the puppet's guardian. And a failed one at that," he said._

 _"Bastard...! I said... LET ME GO!" As Xion shouted those three words, the dark wisps around her suddenly bursted out, forcing her captor to release her and be sent flying. Not only that, the wisps started to cover her body and clothes, dying them all black, with her arms growing claws. Adding her glowing yellow eyes, Xion seemed a lot like..._

 _"A Heartless?!" Guthrie gasped in shock, as were the rest of the crew, as Xion let out a ferocious roar. CP9 looked at her with wide eyes, while the Organization members seemed to remain indifferent._

 _"In any case, they really intend on eliminating us. It also seems that Nico Robin wants to be on their side," Zoro said, looking back to their real opponents. "Luffy, were you able to accept Robin's leaving the ship?"_

 _"Of course not!" he answered at last._

 _Robin, who had recovered from Xion's attack, turned to the windows and lifted her hood. "Well then, I'll be leaving first now."_

 _"I won't let that happen." She stopped, her foot positioned on the windowsill. Guthrie was able to see her from his position. "I refuse this to be the end!" he stated determinately. "I know I have been making a lot of mistakes recently, but not stopping you from making a stupid move like this is one mistake I won't let happen!"_

 _Guthrie tried to rush to Robin, but his hooded opponent got in the way once more. Both of them clashed their weapons upon one another, the Organization member not giving Guthrie an inch. Through his struggle, he peered around him to see Robin look back at him for a moment, then as she turned away, she said something that was quiet, but to the Keyblade wielder, it was clear._

 _"I'm sorry... Guthrie." And with that, she leapt out of the window, vanishing from sight._

 _"Robin! No!" Guthrie shouted, as he tried slip past his enemy after the archeologist. However, the lance-user was blocking his every attempt to head to the window. Enraged that the guy before him was stopping him from getting to the person he cares about, Guthrie called his Keyblade back and clashed with the lance-user._

 _"Lucci. It's about time for the igniters to go off. We have to hurry, too," Kalifa warned._

 _"Yeah. But this is a rare occasion. Let me show you something interesting before we go." As soon as Lucci said that, his body suddenly started to transform, to their shock. "Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Leopard."_

 _"What's with that appearance...? What the hell are you?!" Paulie asked again._

 _It was then, however, Chopper realized something. "Oh no! Carnivorous Zoan types are more brutal!" he informed._

 _Voices were heard from down below. "Lucci. The craftsmen are coming upstairs," Kalifa told him._

 _"Don't worry. They can't make it this far. **Rankyaku!** " Lucci unleashed a powerful kick, one that left a clean cut on the wall just above the doorway. It did not stop there, as the slash attack continued on to out the building, causing the place to collapse._

 _Once it started to fall, Chirithy, out of fear of getting crushed, poofed himself away. Nami, on the other hand, tried running in the room to avoid getting crushed by the debris, but couldn't move fast enough._

 _"Nami!" Chopper helped her out by tackling her out of the way._

 _The navigator fell and hit the floor. Once she heard the falling of the debris coming to a stop, she opened her eyes and saw, to her horror, the debris fell on top of Chopper, with the man reindeer nowhere to be seen. "Chopper!" she cried out._

 _As Xion looked at the scene, whatever human part that was left of her widened her eyes in shock, taking in what had occurred. Like a flick of a switch, the darkness that covered Xion darkened and seemed to thickened, much to her captor's confusion._

 _As Luffy came closer to beat Lucci up, especially for trying to kill someone who was once even his comrade, the next thing that happened was horrifying to everyone. Lucci plunged a clawed pointer finger into his chest. " **Shigan.** Have a nice flight off the island!" The Zoan user then proceeded to toss Luffy right at a wall. Not only did he break through it, he was sent flying away from the building._

 _"Luffy!" Nami cried out._

 _"You bastard!" Zoro cursed, as he charged at Lucci._

 _"How dare you do that to Luffy!" Guthrie shouted, also charging in at the guy._

 _" **Tekkai.** " Lucci hardened his raised left arm and used it to block both their strikes, as the pair did what they could to at least try to chip the beastly arm. Unfortunately, Lucci proved to be much stronger, as he pushed the pair away and landed a powerful kick on Zoro, sending him flying away from the building as well._

 _"Zoro!" Nami gasped._

 _Guthrie just stared at the pair of holes the leopard man made when he sent the two strongest of the crew flying away, shocked that there was someone this strong in any worlds._

 _"You two are left," Lucci spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts, as he looked up and saw the guy approaching him._

 _Before he could even raise an arm to grab the boy, the dark shadows around Xion suddenly bursted once more. Like before, it forced her captor off her. Unlike before, however, this time everyone felt something from this burst of dark aura. This feeling was dark, with a strong sense of dread, to the point where Hattori flew off Lucci's shoulder and flew around the room, coo-cooing._

 _Everyone turned to the source and was shocked with the sight. Standing to her feet was Xion, or what should be her at least. Her skin and clothes still bathed in darkness, there were many changes to her appearance. For one thing, she had a horn growing out from the left side of her head, her left arm was monstrous bulky, and she had what seemed like a bat wing on the right side of her back. Her lips were also dyed red with red sharp teeth showing._

 _"Is that... you, Xion...?" Nami asked._

* * *

It was quiet in the city of Water 7, save for the wind blowing from the coming Aqua Laguna. Many civilians had long evacuated from the area to higher ground to save themselves from the deadly storm. It was a good thing they did, for it was not the storm they should be afraid of that would kill them.

Prowling into the night, rampaging wherever she went, tearing up parts of the city, was none other than Xion. Well, to say it was her wouldn't be wrong, but she was still in her Heartless form, with little to no sign of humanity left in her.

What happened after Xion turned? Well...

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

After Xion turned into a monstrous form of a Heartless, everyone just stood speechless, unable to comprehend what had occurred. All the CP9 members knew she was not a Devil Fruit user, and even if she was, this aura she was emitting out from her mere presence was sending them on edge. From her, they felt something they never thought they'd ever feel from anyone, not even from the higher-ups in the World Government; they felt fear.

"Is that... you, Xion...?" Nami asked.

Rather than answering with a 'yes' or a 'no', Xion let out a loud screech and charged at the CP9 and Organization members. The pair of enemy groups prepared themselves for an attack, when the girl suddenly disappeared. They looked around, but saw no sign of the Heartless-turned girl. Having a horrible feeling of what will come next, the CP9 members quickly hardened their bodies with Tekkai. Next they knew, they saw a shadowy blurred figure striking each and every one of them, not stopping or slowing down one bit. Though Tekkai protected their bodies from any fatal and permanent damages, they still felt the full force of each hit, to their own shock.

Of course, they were not the only ones getting attacked; the pair of Organization members were not spared of the damage being caused. Unlike CP9, however, they were able to see when and where Xion would attack, especially since they had dealt with fast Heartless before, and thus were able to either block or avoid her strikes in time.

While this was going on, both Nami and Guthrie were in shock with what was happening.

"That's... Xion, right?" the navigator asked. "What happened to her?!"

"How should I know?!" the male Keyblade wielder answered. "That's definitely Xion, but she's acting more like a Heartless now! Where the hell is Chirithy?! Chirithy!"

Sadly, the Dream Eater did not appear at his call. It was almost as though whatever was happening to Xion was scaring him to the point that it prevented him from coming back at the moment.

It wasn't long until one of the Organization members saw through Xion's next strike, that he swung his claymore at her, sending her flying to the rubbles, past Nami and Guthrie.

"Xion!" Nami called in worry, as the pair rushed to the downed pirate.

"Hey! Are you o-?!" Before Guthrie could finish his question, Xion grabbed him by the throat with her less monstrous arm and slammed him down on the floor, growling and snarling like a monster. "What are-?!" Next he knew, the girl changed her grip to his head, lifted him up, and slammed him back down on the floor, head-first. Like a monster she practically was now, she continued to do just that a few more times, until Nami latched onto her free arm.

"Xion, stop!" she shouted. "Snap out of it!"

Xion pushed her off, grabbed her by the neck and tossed her out a closed window. Guthrie, barely conscious, widened his eyes in shock with what he was seeing. Before the girl could continue the head-slamming, he quickly pushed her off him with a good Aeroga magic and healed himself back up with Cura.

"Xion! Open your eyes! It's me!" he shouted.

Rather than coming to her senses, Xion charged at him again with a snarl. She swiped her claws at him again, in which Guthrie blocked as best as he could. If they were fighting with just Keyblade or sword skills, he could have the advantage. Sadly, this was not a battle between blades; this was a battle between a Keyblade wielding swordsman and a beastly Heartless, and this beastly Heartless was relentless in her attacks. Not only were they swift, but they were also so strong, it was hard for Guthrie to keep standing his ground or find an opening on her. Eventually, however, Xion's next swipe was so strong, she knocked Follow the Wind out of Guthrie's hand. Next thing the male Keyblade wielder knew, she bit down on his left shoulder, really hard.

"Gaaaahhhhhhh!" Guthrie let out a terrifying scream, as he felt her teeth sinking into his flesh and possibly touching his bones, threatening to crush through them.

He suddenly felt an air of relief hit his injured shoulder, somewhat free of the pain, as he gripped onto it hard. As he slowly registered the lack of biting pain, Guthrie looked up and saw one of the hooded figures holding Xion up by the back of the head. By the looks of it, the guy was putting a lot of pressure in his grip, for the girl seemed to be painfully struggling.

"What... are you doing...?!" he asked. "Stop it! Let her go!"

"You should be thanking me, weakling," he said. "But, if you truly so wish to be eaten by a puppet, then by all means." He carelessly tossed Xion back to Guthrie. Once she was free from the pain, Xion continued to try to kill her fellow Keyblade wielder and guardian.

Though unprepared, the ex-pirate reacted fast enough to recall his Keyblade, holding it up to block her bite, as the girl pushed and pinned him back down to the floor. His injured shoulder practically cried in pain as he had to use every ounce of strength he had left to keep the girl from overpowering him somehow.

"Xion! Snap out of it! Get a hold of yourself!" he shouted. "I know how you feel! I know Allen is dead, and Chopper may be too! But Luffy and Zoro are still alive! They're stronger than that to die from a throw! Revenge is not the answer here! Don't give in to that darkness; fight it! Think about what you're doing! Allen and Chopper would never want this at all!" He hoped that at least the last part would get the girl to come to her senses somewhat, but unfortunately, no change was occurring at all. That wasn't going to stop him from trying to talk her out of it.

"You're angry, I know! I know you want avenge their deaths, to kill these guys for causing you this pain, but that's not the answer here at all! You can't give in to temptation like this! I walked down this very same path as you, Xion. Maybe it wasn't bad enough to change me into a Heartless like you did, but I never felt good about myself after learning I killed my uncle! You heard this story before, didn't you?! Even though killing him saved me and my aunt from having to deal with more of his shit, even though my aunt was kind enough to save me from being sent to life in prison or worse, even though I tried to redeem myself after learning this truth, I never felt good about myself afterwards! I'm not telling you to keep this grief in or to live with it as I had for my uncle when he was alive, but I am telling you to be a better person than this! Don't be the person the Organization want you to be; be the person you can be proud of!"

For a moment, Xion did the one thing Guthrie didn't think would actually happen here; she ceased all actions. The male Keyblade wielder would get up and pry the girl off him, but Xion's grip was still too strong, and so he lied there with his Keyblade still up to protect himself. As if that wasn't surprising enough, he could've sworn he saw her eyes waver a bit, changing slightly to make the iris and pupil somewhat visible. He was getting to her.

"Xion?" he asked.

"Useless puppet," said one of the hooded individuals, as he swung his claymore at Heartless Xion and sent her flying out the building through a wall like Luffy and Zoro had.

"Xion!" Guthrie cried out. He turned back to his enemy and demanded, "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"The answer should be obvious," he answered. "We need that darkness in her to continue to grow. Though I admit, the fact she actually stopped trying to kill you did surprise me for a bit, you seem to be unaware. Once the darkness grows, especially to that point, it can never go away, unless in death."

Guthrie shook his head in denial. "I refuse to believe that! I was getting somewhere with her!"

"Only because you are not the one responsible for that growing darkness in her now," said the lance-wielding individual. "The fact of you being her guardian out of the way, the only reason why she did not kill you is because you were not the one who caused that darkness to grow as it had. And now that she is sent away, she can be done with what she wanted to do. Soon after that, it won't be long until we get what we want out of her."

Hearing that peeked the CP9's 'interest', as they narrowed their eyes at his direction.

"Hang on a second. I hope you realize we have plans for Robin here. And besides, Heartless or not, should you really be okay with letting your target to as she please?" Kalifa asked.

"And if I recall, Nico Robin's bounty is 'Dead or Alive'. Besides, I'm sure your boss can come up with a coverup, should she be killed before she gets arrives," the claymore-wielding Organization member said.

"He's not wrong. Our orders were to retrieve her and the blueprints we seek," Kaku pointed out. "He said nothing about bringing her to him alive."

"Besides, this woman has been on the run from us for twenty years now. Taking her in dead or alive wouldn't matter, for all that does matter is that the Devil Child has finally been captured," Lucci added.

Kalifa saw truth in her comrades' words and pushed up her glasses. "I suppose that is true. Thinking about it now, it doesn't seem that Starlight Blade is even in the right state of mind. Should she succeed in killing Robin, and several others along the way, not only will her bounty increase, but she will also follow the same, if not worse fate, than her. After all, her kind is far too dangerous, even for our world, especially since she chose the life of being a pirate."

"And thus the reason why you all should be grateful that we of the Organization have allied ourselves with you," the claymore-wielding member said. "Have our alliance not have come to be, your world would never survive from a monster like that puppet. Once her life in this world is over, we can bring her back to our headquarters and be sure that she never sees the world outside again."

Guthrie widened his eyes in shock at what these people were saying. Not only does the World Government know about the secret of there being other worlds out there, they they're also going to have Xion unknowingly do the unthinkable and kill Robin! With the vice-captain being an enraged Heartless, there's no telling what she will do, except for one thing... get revenge for Allen's death. And with how she attacked him and Nami, the possibility that she would kill anyone who gets in her way, accidental or not, is quite high as well. He cannot let that happen!

"I won't let you!" he shouted, getting up on his feet. Sadly, he forgot about his wounded shoulder and knelt down in pain, clutching his injury.

His action caught everyone's attention as they glanced his way, with the lance-wielder of the Organization member walking over to him. "You seem to want to want to die, if you planned on stopping us with that shoulder," he said. "If death is what you so wish for... Then go ahead. Die." He grabbed Guthrie by the head and faced the open windows Robin used to escape. He jabbed a lance in the male Keyblade wielder's stomach and unleashed a powerful Aero magic that launched him far away from the area.

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

After that, instead of being knocked out from the harsh landing like any normal person would, Xion emerged back from her landing site and began to rampage around town. She wasn't making her way to the station as the Organization had expected, but the fact that she was still in her Heartless form, destroying everything everywhere she went, it may be a matter of time until she arrives at her destination and kill her target.

It was when she destroyed an accessory store, though, that Xion came to a stop. Rather, it was something within the store that made her stop.

Lying on the floor was a hair clip with an angel wing on it. Heartless Xion knelt down to the accessory, reminded of one person very close to her. Tears formed in her eyes as she reached out to it. She froze before making contact, eyes focused on her monstrous hand. She slowly turned her hand, palm facing her, as she brought it closer to her face. Eyes dry of tears, they now widened as she took a good look at herself. Turning to a nearby mirror, Xion, or at least the human part of her, was in shock at what she had become. Iris and pupils now appearing in her Heartless eyes, she held her head and let out a loud screech in pain.

She was starting to recall what she had done in her subconscious. Rather, it was more that her memories as a Heartless started to collide with her memories as a human. It wasn't the collision that was causing her head pain; it was what she had done even moments before she turned into a Heartless that was giving her heart pain. She remembered it all; how she tried to kill Robin, how she attacked her friends, how she... how she tossed Nami out the window and almost killed Guthrie. She didn't just attacked her friends; she attacked them... with the intention to kill them. It was not like her!

' ** _Why are you hesitating?_** ' came a voice in her head. A familiar one at that. ' ** _They're still out there. You have no time to be here in some mental conflict with yourself. No... You need to find and kill them._** '

It was here Xion realized what this voice was doing to her. In fact, this was the one thing Guthrie was afraid of. This voice was hypnotizing her somehow, making her submit to the darkness when she shouldn't have. Making her do things she would regret for the rest of her life.

"Geh... Ge..." she tried to speak. Unfortunately, the pain she was suffering from, both from her horrid memories and this voice, was too much for her to get a word out. And it didn't help that, as a Heartless that she was now, she was not capable of making human speech.

' ** _Don't tell me you're giving up. Who's going to avenge him if you won't? Who is going to fight if you're just going to wallow in despair? Give everything to the darkness. Let it be your power. Let me help you finish the job,_** ' the voice said once more.

Xion knew better than to trust him this time, especially as she recalled on what Guthrie said to her Heartless self. " _Allen and Chopper would never want this!_ " He was right; they wouldn't want her to be like this. She had to fight off this darkness and regain control.

Almost as though sensing that she would not fall for the hypnosis, the voice in her head sighed. ' ** _Hard way it is, then. For good measure._** ' Next she knew, she felt a great headache coming along, one threatening to split her head in two, as she let out a terrifying, screechy, roar.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Galley-La Company, the fire was getting worse there. Many of the shipwrights did everything they could to put the fire out, but because of the strong wind, it was impossible to even weaken the flames. But it wasn't just the fire they were worried about.

Lying on the grass nearby in separate places were Nami, Chopper, Paulie, and Iceberg. Nami was found earlier than the guys, completely knocked unconscious. Knowing that she was a Straw Hat, some of the shipwrights decided to keep an eye on her, should she wake, so they could question her on the whereabouts of everyone else. As for Chopper, Paulie, and Iceberg, as well as Iceberg's pet mouse, the man-reindeer managed to survive from the rubbles and got the bound and unconscious shipwrights out of the building to safety, even bringing along one of Zoro's swords, in which the three-sword-style user had dropped when he was sent flying out of the place. When Chopper then spotted Nami unconscious and bleeding on the grass, he was going to try to help her. However, due to his already weakened state, he fell unconscious as well.

It wasn't long until one of the four unconscious people started to wake. That person... was none other than...

"Iceberg-san has recovered consciousness!" a relieved shipwright announced.

Those words got the others' attention, as they turned to their wounded mayor.

"Really?! That's great!" another shipwright exclaimed.

"What a relief! He's okay!" exclaimed another.

Soon enough, all the shipwrights began cheering for their mayor's recovery.

"It's all thanks to that reindeer!"

"But I heard that he's a pet of the Straw Hats."

Iceberg slowly tilted his head to the side, where Chopper lied on one spot, and Paulie on another spot.

"Hey! This one, too! The woman woke up!" called another shipwright.

Everyone turned and, true to that man's words, Nami regained conscious as well. Injured, but undoubtedly alive. It was here, though, everyone was conflicted as to what they should do.

"W-What are we gonna do?" one shipwright asked. "Should we make her tell us the Straw Hats' whereabouts now?"

"But she's severely injured. And she's a woman, too," another shipwright said.

"But that's..." The man trailed off there, as all the workers were shocked with what they were seeing.

"Iceberg-san! You shouldn't move around yet!" one of them said to him.

Iceberg got up and approached Nami. Though he was in pain, he had something really important to tell her, something she and many of her friends must know.

"Guys... Give us some space," he told them all. "I want to talk to her alone."

Though hesitant and confused, the shipwrights all complied to his request and gave the pair the space they needed, as Iceberg and Nami both sat by the wall of the front entrance, both with a coat draped over their shoulders.

While the guys were resuming trying to put the fire out, Iceberg began to speak. "First... I'm sorry. We falsely accused you of a crime. I'll clear the misunderstanding later." Nami remained silent, for she knew that was not all he wanted to talk to her about. "I want to talk about Nico Robin."

That got her absolute attention. "Do you know something?!" she asked.

Rather than answer, Iceberg asked, "Did that woman change after you guys came to this town?"

"Yes, suddenly. After she went to town, she just disappeared. By this morning, she was the suspect of your attempted assassination. When my friends finally found her, she said she would no longer come back to us. We didn't know what was going on. So we came here tonight, in order to directly ask her again why she's leaving the ship." Nami thought back to what happened in the building, when they last saw Robin and asked her that question that was on their minds. "What is this wish that can never come true if she's with us...? What wish is worth killing off one of your friends...?"

While Iceberg didn't have the answer to one of those questions, he told her what he knew about Robin's actions and her reasons. He suspected that the change began when CP9 first came in contact with Robin when they first lost sight of her, but that wasn't what was important. "There is, of course, a reason for that woman's actions. But before I tell you that, I want you to know that Nico Robin and I both have a means to bring back the ancient weapon that could destroy the world."

Hearing that shocked Nami. "Destroy the world...?"

"That's right."

Iceberg then told Nami what occurred while he and Robin had a moment alone in his room, mainly how he berated Robin for reading the Poneglyph to find out the true history when she could potentially help the Government bring back a dangerous weapon, and how he had reminded her of the fate of her home island. Or at least, what he thought was the reason for such a fate to occur. He told her about how the Government apparently caused Robin pain, from what he was told, and the conditions that were placed on her the moment CP9 found her, both that benefited the Government more than Robin and the Straw Hats... and for a good reason. He told Nami what Robin told him about Buster Call, a dangerous emergency order normally belonging to the three admirals and fleet admiral to summon five vice admirals from Navy Headquarters and ten battleships to one place... all to completely obliterate it and the people living there. Had Robin refused, CP9, who were given authority by Aokiji, would have triggered Buster Call. Just knowing that Aokiji gave them permission was enough for Robin to submit to them. While she could've just ignored it and continued on surviving the way she had for the past twenty years, for this case, she couldn't any longer. Why? Because the people of the Straw Hats helped her retrieve the many things she had lost long ago; her life, her heart, and her dream, especially one person in particular. These past twenty years, she had found people who believed in her and just saw her as herself, not as some big-time criminal who managed to be on the run for so long. She found people worth sacrificing her own life for.

As such, in exchange for the two conditions to be met, Robin was promised by the Government that the rest of the Straw Hats will safely leave the island. She didn't care what happens to the rest of the world, so long as her friends are okay. Iceberg attempted to shoot her, but couldn't find it in him to do so.

"Of all people, over the lives of everyone in the world, she chose your lives," Iceberg ended.

Nami was in shock with what she heard. "It was for us...?"

"Now that I might have the weapon's blueprints taken away by them, I don't have the right to criticize her, though," Iceberg said.

"Wait a second... You said she did it for our sake. But what about Allen?" Nami asked. "Did Robin say anything about that? Xion saw his body..."

Iceberg was silent there. In his head, he was counting off the number of people remaining in the Straw Hat crew. Robin said she wished for the remaining ten to be spared. Excluding her, there was Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Chopper, Xion, Guthrie, and Chirithy. There was also that long-nose boy with them, and the dancer they spoke of. That makes a total of nine people, so there must be one other. Regardless, Robin must have wanted Allen to also leave safely with the others. So why...?

As they pondered on Robin's true intentions, a commotion was heard nearby. The pair turned and saw a small group of shipwrights gathered there.

"What the hell are those guys doing now...?" Iceberg wondered. He stood back up and went to resolve whatever situation was over there.

Nami followed suit, wanting to take her mind off of this complicated situation, as well as one other situation that was stuck in her mind since she regained consciousness. She still couldn't believe Allen was dead, but she also couldn't believe what became of Xion. She turned into a monster and she almost killed her. And the fact that Guthrie is not around, would that mean that...? She didn't want to complete that thought.

Once they arrived at the group, the pair were shocked with the sight before them.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Iceberg shouted in disappointment, for his men were ganging up on and beating up a lone male.

"But Iceberg-san! This guy here is one of the Straw Hats! He said so himself!" one of the shipwrights said.

"Even so, they are not the ones responsible for what happened here!" Hearing the truth from their trusted and well-respected mayor and boss shocked them.

"Wait, they aren't? Then who...?"

"I'll explain it all later. Just put out that fire now! And release him!"

At his order, the shipwrights hesitantly released the boy they ganged up on and went back to helping the others with the fire.

"Man... And I thought my treatment back home was harsh..." the boy muttered.

Nami's eyes widened at the sight of the injured person before them, shocked that he was even here. After all... didn't he die?

"Hm? What's wrong, Nami?" he asked. "No, what I should be asking is what happened to you?! What happened while I was out?!"

The navigator couldn't find the words to answer his question. All she could mutter out was... "Allen...?"


	13. Pirate Search and the Aqua Laguna

**Here's another chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds! Here, we will see how Allen is still alive and the search for the missing pirates. And a bit of how Xion is doing. Hope you enjoy~**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _Nami was in shock with what she heard. "It was for us...? Wait a second... You said she did it for our sake. But what about Allen?"_

 _Iceberg was silent there. In his head, he was counting off the number of people remaining in the Straw Hat crew. Robin said she wished for the remaining ten to be spared. Excluding her, there was Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Chopper, Xion, Guthrie, and Chirithy. There was also that long-nose boy with them, and the dancer they spoke of. That makes a total of nine people, so there must be one other. Regardless, Robin must have wanted Allen to also leave safely with the others. So why...?_

 _As they pondered on Robin's true intentions, a commotion was heard nearby. The pair turned and saw a small group of shipwrights gathered there._

 _"What the hell are you doing?!" Iceberg shouted in disappointment, for his men were ganging up on and beating up a lone male._

 _"But Iceberg-san! This guy here is one of the Straw Hats! He said so himself!" one of the shipwrights said._

 _"Even so, they are not the ones responsible for what happened here!" Hearing the truth from their trusted and well-respected mayor and boss shocked them. "I'll explain it all later. Just put out that fire now! And release him!"_

 _At his order, the shipwrights hesitantly released the boy they ganged up on and went back to helping the others with the fire._

 _"Man... And I thought my treatment back home was harsh..." the boy muttered._

 _Nami's eyes widened at the sight of the injured person before them, shocked that he was even here. After all... didn't he die?_

 _"Hm? What's wrong, Nami?" he asked. "No, what I should be asking is what happened to you?! What happened while I was out?!"_

 _The navigator couldn't find the words to answer his question. All she could mutter out was... "Allen...?"_

* * *

After getting caught up with what happened on Nami's side, Allen was just shocked at how much he missed. "Xion did what?!" he gasped out.

"I don't think it's really her, but that's what happened," Nami told him.

Allen knew what she meant. If anything, he had a good idea what happened to the vice-captain while he was out. She found his presumed-dead body and was so saddened that she got herself swallowed up by her own darkness. In short, this was his fault... partly that is.

"Now what about you? How in the world are you alive?" the navigator asked.

"Believe me, I thought I was dead, too. Or at least close to," he answered. "It may be because I haven't really fully recovered from the usage of the Reject Dial back in Skypeia, but taking an Impact to the chest is really different from used the Impact itself."

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

Back before Robin 'killed' Allen, when she held him up with her powers, she sneakily summoned another arm to snatch an Impact Dial from his pouch and passed it onto another summoned arm, hidden under her cloak.

Allen noticed the woman doing just that and looked at her in the eyes. "Robin... What are you...?" he breathed out.

"I'm sorry. But I cannot allow you to follow us any further," she said, pulling her real arm back. "This is farewell."

As she thrusted her real arm forward, she curled her hand up in a fist and had her summoned arm slam the Impact Dial right in his gut. The feel of the strong impact in his gut was extremely painful, especially with the added real punch, Allen felt blood swelling up in his mouth. As Robin straightened herself, she canceled her powers, causing Allen to fall on some crates, with the dancer coughing out blood at last, making some trail down from the corner of his mouth and he fell into a state of unconscious. Robin looked down and quickly used her Devil Fruit powers to slap a circular, black paper on his chest and splatter some fake blood she prepared earlier on it and all over him, making it seem as though she truly made the hole and Allen was truly dying, if not dead.

As Blueno joined her, she quickly called off her summoned arms, as the big guy looked down at the scene.

"With this, the two who are with you can also have what they want," Robin said. "I've seen how Demon-san sees him. This may help awaken what they claim was in her the whole time."

"Perhaps so," Blueno agreed, completely buying the act.

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

To heat that Robin had actually faked Allen's death was more than just a surprise to Nami; it brought relief. "So... Robin didn't betray us after all," she said.

"No," Allen answered. "Although, I was quite shocked at my own condition when I came to. I actually thought I had a hole in my chest."

"Well you better get yourself out of that shock now!" Nami said, happily slapping the boy's cheeks together. "We have to gather everyone and tell them the news!"

"Wait! Straw Hat and the others were beaten! And even though she wasn't really defeated, Starlight Blade is..." Iceberg spoke. "What do you think you can do now?!"

"'Now'?! It starts now! Luffy, Xion and the others are fine!" the navigator told him. "It'd take a lot more than that to take them out. We're gonna get Robin back. When unsure, anyone can be weak. There's no limit to their strength when they know it's okay to save her!"

"And Starlight Blade? You saw what she did."

"It's because of me that she became like that, isn't it?" Allen asked the mayor. "If that's the case, then I'll go find her and bring her back to normal myself."

Iceberg couldn't believe what he was hearing. It wasn't just the words being spoken, but how confident Nami and Allen were when they said their claim.

"Chopper! Chopper!" the navigator called, rushing to the downed reindeer. "Chopper, wake up! We have to find everyone! Chopper, wake up!"

Upon seeing the girl slapping and chopping the animal's face to wake him, all the guys, including Allen, looked at her in shock.

"I thought you said everyone got seriously injured! Stop chopping him like that!" the dancer shouted. Nami ignored him and continued on forcing the pirate doctor to wake.

* * *

Some time later, Chopper woke up, the fire was put out, and the truth was revealed to the bandaged man-reindeer in his hybrid form.

"Then, it's not that Robin doesn't like us?!" the happy and relieved doctor asked.

"That's right!" Nami and Allen confirmed.

"I'm so glad!"

While the trio of pirates were having their own conversation, the shipwrights stared at them, specifically Chopper, in shock. The reason? They saw a reindeer turn into what they assumed to be a raccoon dog.

"So, Chopper, we have to find Luffy and the others right away and rescue Robin!" Nami told the doc.

"Okay! Let's go find them!" Chopper happily agreed. He looked around and then asked, "Where are they?"

"We don't know. That's why we have to look for them," Allen answered.

"All right...! I'll do my best!" Next the bystanders knew, Chopper changed into his Heavy Point form.

"Whoa! He turned into a gorilla!" one of them shouted.

"You guys, wait," Iceberg called to the pirates. "I don't care if you go after Nico Robin. But the sea train for the government personnel will depart at 11 tonight. Well, this is just my guess, but it's highly possible that they'll take that train. In other words, Nico Robin will, too." Nami, Chopper and Allen were shocked at the given news. "Likewise, it is also possible you will find Starlight Blade at least somewhere near the station. But after that train, the sea train will be suspended for the time being, since Aqua Laguna will be coming soon."

"But that means..." Nami trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.

Iceberg nodded, confirming her suspicions. "If you miss this train, you can't sail out, of course, which means there's no other means to leave this island."

"But wait! Even if the train doesn't leave in time, if Xion arrives there first..." Allen spoke up, just now having an awful thought.

Unfortunately, the mayor of Water 7 nodded, once again confirming what he was thinking. "If she gets there first, be it she or Nico Robin, but one of them will die."

"Oh no! This is bad! What time is it now?!" Nami asked.

Checking his pocket watch, Iceberg answered, "10:30."

"What?! We've only got 30 minutes left!"

"Can't you do something?! Like stopping the sea train for a few minutes or put the station under lockdown?!" Allen asked.

"Unfortunately, it's destination, Enies Lobby, is an island off-limits to those other than Government personnel. The engine driver is also from the Government. He won't listen to me. And if I put the place under lockdown, not only will CP9 be alerted of my being alive, but they may return and do much worse to me and the shipwrights here," Iceberg explained.

"But that can't..." Allen trailed off, slowly losing hope in their initial plan.

"Then, the only way left is for me to go to the station and somehow persuade Robin directly," Nami spoke up.

"Then Chopper and I'll search for Xion and the guys."

"I'll tell you both where Luffy and Zoro flew, so search those areas! If you find them, tell them to come to the station immediately."

"Okay. Got it," Chopper nodded.

"But what about Xion?" Allen asked.

"Well..."

"She was tossed in that direction," Iceberg interrupted Nami, pointing at the exact location where Xion was sent flying to. "She was knocked over there after her, so she wouldn't know." While that was true, that Nami wouldn't know where Xion had gone to, especially when the vice-captain had tossed her out the Galley-La building, Iceberg also knew that she wouldn't feel comfortable telling Allen and Chopper of that exact reason, even if Xion wasn't really herself at the time.

"Hey... Guys..." came a strained voice. Everyone turned and saw Paulie waking up, slowly going into a sitting position.

"Ah! Paulie-san! You're okay!" one of the shipwrights gasped in relief.

What came out of his mouth next surprised them all. "Give the girl and her friends a hand."

"What?! G-Give them a hand, you say, Paulie?! They're the culprits who tried to kill Iceberg-san!"

"We should restrain these two! Lucci-san and Kalifa-san are still missing and-"

"The assassination culprits are not the Straw Hats! They're innocent!" the rope-user shouted at last, silencing everyone. "The real culprits tricked us, and we falsely accused them! I don't know the true identities of those masked men, but the Straw Hats fought against them for us! As a matter of fact, Iceberg-san and I are alive because of them, right?" The guys all stood there silent, aware of how true that last statement was and shocked that they blamed the wrong group this whole time. "You don't have to look for Lucci and Kaku. We may not see them again."

"What?! You know what happened to them?!" one of the shipwrights asked, as Paulie stood on his feet.

"They're visiting their hometowns," the rope-user lied, not willing to speak the truth to them. How can he? Even he still couldn't believe the truth behind them.

His response only raised more questions amongst them.

"Hey, you, shameless girl!" Paulie called out to Nami.

"That again?! Hey, stop calling me that!" she retorted.

"You're going to the station, right? I'll show you the way."

Shocked by his kindness, Nami accepted the help.

Meanwhile, the shipwrights were still hounding at Paulie for answers.

"Paulie-san! Hey!"

"Is what you told us true?!"

Having enough of the questions, the blonde guy shouted, "Quit jabbering and help them already! Are you trying to hurt Galley-La's name?!"

Frightened by the look he gave them, they all saluted. "N-No, foreman!" The group then bowed to the pirates, apologizing to them and offering them their service. One guy even suggested to the others to have the Yagaras out and ready to be used.

"I really don't have a clue what's going on myself here, but we have to start our search for the others first," Allen said to his fellow, happy crew mates, who nodded in agreement.

Soon enough, all the Yagaras the shipwrights had were out. Everyone went in singles or pairs and rode on one of the sea creatures, thus beginning their mission to find their missing comrades and save Robin.

"Chopper, Allen! I'm counting on you guys!" Nami told the boys, as she, Paulie, and a couple others broke away from the group.

"Yeah! We'll be sure to bring them!" Chopper replied, holding onto one of Zoro's sword.

Seconds later, Allen found a turn for his route. "That's my exit!"

"Be sure to bring Xion-nee back!" Chopper told him.

"Leave it to me!" With that, the dancer of a pirate separated from the rest.

' _Great Warrior Kalgara, if you can hear me. Please... Let me make it to her!_ ' he prayed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the lower part of Water 7, Guthrie was only just waking up, realizing that he was trapped. The last thing he remembered was being blasted out of mansion, and crashing into some rubble after a long flight. What had happened was that he ended up crashing into one of the houses, causing the walls to break and fall all around and on top of him, momentarily knocking him out. His limbs were trapped underneath all the rubble, with the exception of one arm.

"Dammit..." he weakly groaned. "I couldn't do it again... Robin was right there, and I couldn't even... And not only that, but Xion too..."

He thought back to her last words before she left. It was over. They were never gonna see her again. He once again found himself in a moment where he was unable to do anything else but be a victim.

"Dammit, why am I so useless?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He felt the tears forming in his eyes. Was there really nothing he could do to save the people he cared for. Was all of his efforts just wasted away?

* * *

Some time into the search, rain began to fall. Allen and his Yagara continued to travel around the area, but found no sign of Xion or have any leads of her.

"Damn it... Where is she? And it doesn't help that the sky is crying..." he muttered to himself. "Xion!"

"Allen!" came a familiar voice.

Allen had his Yagara stop in its track, as he looked around to find the source of the voice.

"That voice... Hey! Where are you?!" he shouted.

"Up here!" Allen looked up at one of the houses. To his shock, he found a familiar someone hanging by the edge of the roof.

"Chirithy?! What are you doing up there?!" Allen gasped.

"It's... kind of a funny story..." the Dream Eater answered. "But wait, what about you, Allen?! I thought you died!"

"Yeah, and I'm never going to stop hearing that, am I?" the dancer muttered to himself. "Just hang on! I'll get you down!" Using his Dial Boots, he shot himself up to Chirithy and grabbed him, landing safely on the ground.

"Whew. Thanks for that," the Dream Eater thanked.

"How'd you get up there? Where are Guthrie and Xion?" Allen asked, knowing that where Chirithy was, there was usually one of the two Keyblade wielders with him.

"I don't know! Last I saw Xion, she was taken over by whatever darkness was in her! So much so, I was too scared to be around for another second and poofed away! It wasn't until I stopped sensing that darkness I decided to poof back! ... Which made me fall and hang from the roof..."

"That's why?!" Allen quickly recovered from shock as he realized one other thing. "Wait, if that's true, then you know where Guthrie is, don't you?!"

"Yeah. He went this way!" Chirithy led the way to where his partner was thrown to. Before he could get far, Allen picked him up and placed him on his shoulders.

"It's faster if we do it this way!" Next the Dream Eater knew, the winged pirate activated the dials on his boots and started to travel through the air at high speed. "Which way?!"

"Just keep moving down this path!" With that, the pair continued their way to one of the missing Keyblade wielders through the rain.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Nami, after arriving too late to the station, in which the train had left minutes earlier due to the dangers of the storm, she and Chopper regrouped and continued on their search for their remaining members. Well, except for Sanji, that is, who boarded the train just as it left. Not just him; Franky and Usopp are on it as well.

As they continued their search, Nami saw something on a wall that made her stop. It was a page of the newspaper article from earlier this morning, one that displayed wanted images of Luffy, Zoro, Xion, and Robin. As she stared at the poster, she overheard shipwrights speaking out their doubts about finding three of the four people on it, alive or not. Of course, there were a couple that told them off for such doubts.

' _Where are you guys?_ ' the navigator wondered. ' _Luffy... Zoro... You boys wouldn't be taken out by a leopard man like that, right? And Xion..._ ' Her mind went back to what happened when she last saw her vice-captain, a memory that she wants to forget, especially when she knew that it wasn't really her at that time. At least, that was what she hoped. ' _We finally know why Robin left us._ ' One thought of said archeologist, and Nami continued to take off in a sprint. ' _Just you wait, Robin. I'm coming to rescue you with Luffy and the others without fail!_ '

"Nami!" she heard. Looking up, she saw Allen jumping down from the roof, Chirithy on his shoulder.

"Allen!" she gasped out. "What's up? Any good news?"

"We haven't found Xion yet, but we know where Guthrie is!" the dancer told her.

Just hearing that one of their missing friends was going to be found soon was more than enough to put a smile on her face. Plus, from what Iceberg had told them, he was sent flying in the same direction as Luffy and Zoro. They find him, they can find the other two nearby. "Great! Where is he?!" she asked.

"That way!" Chirithy pointed. And off the pair of humans- well, one human and one Shandian- go.

A bit of time in their run, Nami slowed to a stop, hands on her knees as she panted in exhaustion. This prompted Allen to stop as well.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine... But we have to get to Luffy and the others," she answered.

"There's something between two houses!" came a young voice. "Hey! Look! Look!"

The trio of pirates turned to the source and saw Kokoro, Chimney, and Gonbe looking towards the backstreets from the rails.

"Kokoro-san!" Nami called.

"Chimney and Gonbe, too!" Chirithy followed.

The trio turned and were greeted by a set of familiar faces.

"Oh! You're those pirate kids!" the woman recognized.

"Ah! Pirate guys! Hey, look over there! There's something there!" Chimney called to them.

The trio were confused as to what would be so interesting that a child would be calling them over at a time like this and joined them.

"Just what is it you're going on about, Chimney?" Kokoro asked her granddaughter.

As the pirates came closer to the rails, they were shocked with what they were seeing before them.

"Wait, what's with this dried-up sea?!" Nami gasped.

"The sea usually dries up on the Blue Sea?!" Allen asked in shock, for this never happened in the White-White Sea.

"No. It shouldn't happen!" Chirithy answered. He sensed something from one direction and looked to see some rubbles just at the edge of the back streets. "Don't those rubbles there look suspicious to you?!"

His pirate friends looked to the direction he was looking and saw the pile of wreckage a bit far from them, just by what should've been the seaside.

"I'll check it out!" Allen said, using his Dial Boots to shoot himself and Chirithy over to the debris.

"Wait, Allen!" Nami called. It was too late, though, for the pair of boys were already quite far from her.

She wasn't the only one who wanted to stop them, for some of the shipwrights saw the Shandian heading to the restricted area.

"What the-?! Hey! Someone's heading to the backstreets!" one of them called.

"Someone stop them!" another called out.

"Impossible! He's moving too fast!" said another.

Mentally swearing at the foreigner of their sea, Nami looked to the direction Chimney was looking to. Any normal person would not be able to notice it, but Nami saw it. Wedged between two large buildings, she saw him; Luffy was trapped between buildings.

Kokoro herself just noticed the captain in the spot Chimney was pointing to. "That straw hat... Isn't that your King of the Pirates?" she asked Nami.

Rather than answering, angry at the ridiculous situation Luffy got himself in, Nami took the stairs nearby and headed down to the backstreets as well, much to the old woman's shock.

"Hey! Where are you going?! Don't go down the backstreets!" she called out.

Shocked that another person was going down to the restricted area, some of the shipwrights went after Nami in an attempt to stop her. Nami knew better than to take the long, normal route to get to Luffy in time before the Aqua Laguna comes and instead traveled by the roofs to get to her captain. All her time sneaking onto other pirate ships and taking away their treasure was not for naught, as she was making a somewhat smooth travel getting to her destination, despite the rain and her heels.

* * *

Back to Allen and Chirithy, the latter was losing energy from his Breath Dials in his Dial Boots and started to traverse via the roofs like Nami was doing. He would've just replaced the dials, but he was down to his last pair and would rather save those for emergencies, especially with what was going on with the sea. On the bright side, they were not far from their goal.

As they closed in at the rubbles, Allen couldn't help but look towards the dried-up area, where all the sea water was gathered far from them.

"Man, the Blue Sea seriously is scarier than anything the White-White Sea has to offer!" he said out loud, feeling uneasy about the wave away from them.

"Hey, I hadn't been awake for as long as you, alright?!" Chirithy barked at him.

They arrived at the collapsed building, with rubble piled twice as wide and almost as long.

"He's in there!" Chirithy pointed out. "I'm sure of it!"

Allen jumped off the roof and landed right by the rubbles, trying to shift the broken wall pieces to reach Guthrie. "Hey, Guthrie!" he shouted into the pile. "You in there?! Give me a sign, now!"

Guthrie was surprised to hear the voice of his fellow new crew member. While he was slowly starting to question if he was dying at the moment, he still gave an answer. "Yeah... I'm here."

Hearing his voice was a sign of relief to Allen as he tried to move a big piece of rubble in the way. "Listen, you just hang tight, okay?! I'll get you out of there in a minute!"

"...What about the others? Are they fine?" the counselor asked.

"Yeah! Well, Sanji is missing, Luffy and Zoro are somewhere lost out there, Nami and Chopper are looking for them, and goodness knows what Xion is getting into right now. Chirithy is with me, though."

Hearing his 'ex-partner' with Allen made Guthrie unsure of what to feel. Honestly, all he could do was feel the uselessness and despair of it all. Finally, he answered, "Listen, you gotta make sure the others are okay, alright? Just find our captain and our first mate. Don't worry about me."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Chirithy demanded. "You know there's a giant wave coming, and if it crashes, you're dead!"

"He's right. If we don't free you now, you're a goner!" Allen barked at him. "So shut up and hang tight. We'll free you, and go save Robin!"

"What's the point?" Guthrie asked, looking at his free hand, "I wouldn't be of any help. Aren't I dead anyway?"

"If you're saying that because of what Robin had said, I am far from dead! And even if I was, what's gotten into you?!" Allen demanded, stepping away to glare at the pile of rubble. "Where's the powerful force that was Guthrie?! The guy who, despite the difficult fights he went through, pushed onward, determined to win in the end?! Where's the guy who was suppose to be Xion's guardian?!"

"I don't know... I mean, Larxene, Aokiji, Ussop, Robin, CP9, the Organization... I was unable to stop the people I care for from leaving, nor was I able to defeat the opponents who targeted Xion and my crew. No matter how powerful my attacks were, or how much of my bottled-up anger I unleashed to deliver judgement onto my enemies, my efforts were useless in the end!"

"Guthrie, all that anger that you had gained from your vengeance against your uncle isn't gonna help you no matter what," Chirithy stated.

"See? I'm useless as I was back then, just like I am now!" Guthrie barked. "What could I do to redeem myself?! I had no answer back then, not even when I was asked about it...!"

* * *

 _ ***FLASHBACK***_

In his homeworld, a younger Guthrie was kneeling down at a gravestone, with his aunt Sinopa standing behind him. This grave was his uncle's, the man he accidentally killed, yet he had no idea he did it for an entire year. All he ever did was gather up all his rage and vengeance to retaliate back at him, only to be lashed out at someone who was gone for good.

"I'm so, so sorry, Aunt Sinopa," Guthrie apologized.

"You didn't mean it back then," she told him. "You were just defending yourself against him. You didn't know he-"

"Died? That I killed him? I would have. All I thought about when I was coming home was wanting to enact my revenge against him after what he did to us. If anything, I would've actually killed him even if I did return."

Sinopa placed a hand on his shoulder. "Guthrie, you know you would never do that. You are too kind for that."

"No, I am not!" Guthrie shouted, throwing off her hand and standing over her. "I would've done it! I hated him for abusing the two of us for all this time, and that hatred gathered up inside me for a year. I came back to re-enact what he did to us all this time, all at once, until he died in agony! But all this anger, all this hatred... I have nothing to throw it at! Nothing to use it for! What am I suppose to do with all this villainous hatred inside of me?! I wanted our lives to be happy, but I can't do it with all of this in my heart! I... I don't know what to do with myself anymore!"

Sinopa watched her nephew's face contort in grief. He was broken, beyond anything she had seen. A young boy who was almost a son to her was now in so much pain, and she had no idea what to do to help. There was one idea she did have, and it was something her sister did whenever she felt sad back when they were young.

She wrapped her arms around her nephew, holding him tight. "Then just let all those feelings out, bit by bit," she told him. "I can't give you an answer as to what to do with all that anger and despair. All I can do is be there for you if it is too much. I can hug you like this, listen to whatever you have to say, let you divulge your feelings until you are calm again. But one thing's for sure; no matter what you say, whether or not you believe you are a person of vengeance and anger, I will always see you as my nephew. My sister's child. Nothing will change that, okay?"

What his aunt said wasn't curing Guthrie, but it was enough to know that someone like her was here to carry the grief for him. The pain that was inside his heart, eating away at him. His fingers dug into his aunt's back and, with one inhale, he screamed at the top of his voice. Shouting his grieving cry of agony. The mournful sound of agony that wished to be unleashed, so his pure heart would be free, so that his happiness would be found again. This was not an answer, but it was a start.

* * *

 _ ***END OF FLASHBACK***_

Guthrie looked down, thinking on that past, as he still was trapped in the rubble. "I thought I could find my true happiness by being with the crew and helping them. I thought I could use the anger in me to stop enemies that we encounter. I thought Robin would be the person who could guide me to a brighter hope. Guess none of that worked out well, did it? I failed to keep our crew together, my anger and Keyblade helped no one, and Robin left us, not caring to come back."

Allen wasn't too sure what to answer to this. He was starting to see that Guthrie was just as fragile as he was. Though the problems they had were different, between Guthrie's internal rage that was gathered for his deceased uncle, and his half-breed Shandian heritage and being shunned by his fellow tribe, both of them had pain, and Guthrie has yet to completely overcome his.

"You can pity yourself at another time, you idiot," Chirithy spoke up, getting a shocked look from the dancer. "Guthrie, you don't have a clue what's going on or what you have done. You see only the losses you have made, but I see a whole lot of wins that counter that. Sure, Ussop left, but you couldn't stop it, no matter how hard you tried. So you lost to a bunch of big-shots and some Organization members. You're alive, right? Use that anger to rise back up and become better, stronger, more powerful than before. And Robin... Well, putting my own opinions to one side, she didn't betray us as you thought."

Guthrie was quite surprised, hearing this last bit of news.

"Turns out the World Government was planning to attack us with some powerful force, and it would be beyond any of us to stop it," Chirithy continued, retelling everything that was told to him while he and Allen were searching for him, before they met up with Nami. "In order to protect us from this attack, she turned herself in to CP9, followed their orders to pin the blame of Iceberg's attack on us and leave us. The fact is that she cared for us so much, she is willing to sacrifice her life and her dream to help us survive! How else do you think Allen is alive right now?! Or did you think he's only a voice in your head?!"

While that last one hurt the Shandian pirate, for a moment, there was brief moment of silence in the rubble. Guthrie thought about it, looking back on seeing her leave the mansion, her last words. He then went further back her words to him after he and Chirithy broke up. Finally, he remembered the smile she gave, and the kiss on the cheek she added, when he chose to help her fulfill her dream. The light of hope started to shine out from in his heart once more. The words of his Dream Eater, and the news that Robin didn't betray them, swelled up inside of him.

He smiled and began to chuckle lightly. Then he went into a bit of a laughing attack as Chirithy and Allen looked a bit worried, wondering what was the meaning to this. Finally, Guthrie stopped laughing, then formed a determined, angry face.

"God, I'm so stupid! Here I am, throwing a pity party, and Robin just gave herself up and left us, despite all the things I told her?! I said that I would always be there to bring her back if she was taken away. I told her I would be her light. I told her that I would help her seek out her dream. What kind of idiot does she think she is to just toss my words out the window like that, and think I would be okay with her giving up like this?! It's so stupid, I can only laugh at it. Robin... No, CP9, and Organization XIII. To hell with all of you!"

As his arm piece glowed, so did Chirithy's bag, rather whatever was in it, to the Dream Eater and Allen's shock. As the owner of the bag opened it up, five medals that Guthrie had gathered in his time before meeting the Straw Hats emerged out.

"I can't just stand around, waiting for death's embrace, when Robin chose to sacrifice herself to save us. I am so done with losing so much to all these big shots! I am done losing my friends! I WILL WIN AND GET EVERYTHING BACK!"

Chirithy and Allen watched as the medals glowed brightly, then shattered and morphed into a new medal; a gold one with a filigree ridge. It suddenly shot into the rubble as Guthrie summoned his Keyblade, and joined the other medals within the keychain, without pushing one out. He could now use a seventh medal.

Wind started to gather around the teeth of his blade as he made a war cry. " **Tornado... X**!" All of a sudden, the two from the outside got blown back as a huge cyclone blasted upwards, not only freeing the Keyblade wielder from the rubble, but destroying the house that came from it. The rubble flew upwards, swirling and flying into other buildings, causing them to fall as well.

At the same time, the pair of buildings Luffy was trapped in suddenly broke apart in two separate ways, freeing the rubberman at last after hearing the truth from Nami about Robin.

Just right after that, another tall building was split apart from the chimney, where a now-freed Zoro was trapped within. Thanks to Chopper delivering his cursed sword, however, the guy was as free as the other two.

* * *

Up above, the shipwrights watched the set of miracles occurring in the backstreets.

"Ahhh! What the hell?! He broke the buidlings!" exclaimed one of them, watching Luffy's 'escape'.

"Holy cow! What the heck are they doing there?!" exclaimed another, watching the tornado Guthrie made.

"What the hell are they?!" questioned another, witnessing the chimney building's destruction.

* * *

Back at the scene with the Keyblade wielder, Allen managed to hold onto Chirithy, enduring the storm. When they looked at the spot the rubble was at, Guthrie was standing there, his head bowed in dramatic pause. A leather western hat that came from the house he had just destroyed floated back down, carried by the winds, and landed on his head. He looked up, placing a hand on his new headgear.

"Let's go! We got an archeologist to save, right?!" he shouted. He took off into the streets, blindly passing Allen and Chirithy, who were baffled at the quick turn of events. However, the dancer quickly recovered, and raced after him, with Chirithy on his shoulders.

As hard as it was to believe, Guthrie was somewhat empowered by his newfound ambition and anger. It sped him up to the point that he ran vertically up the wall of a building, reaching the rooftop. Allen quickly swapped his Breath Dials and caught up to the male Keyblade wielder as the wave crashed down onto the town, causing major damage to the buildings, some of them even being uprooted from the ground.

Just then, a bunch of flying Heartless and Dragoon Nobodies coming their way.

"As if we had enough problems as it is!" Chirithy exclaimed as he held onto dear life with Allen.

"Get the hell out of my way!" Guthrie roared, leaping up and performing Sonic Blade, blasting through one Heartless at a time. His attacks were so strong, he eliminated each Heartless in one hit.

As for Allen, he used his quick, dancing reflexes to avoid or counter any oncoming Heartless or Nobodies that tried attacking him and Chirithy.

A Dragoon shot upwards and came down at Allen, making him double back in shock. However, just as the Nobody raised its lance, Guthrie's Keyblade came spinning at it in a Strike Raid, shredding him from behind with a clean cut down the middle, before he called back his weapon to his hand. Allen saw Guthrie's expression. It was filled with rage, but his eyes were so focused on his surroundings, he was able to detect his friend from danger.

He turned in midair as he saw more Heartless and Nobodies still in his path. "I am so not done here!" he declared, his body glowing. He bursted with a powerful energy as he was surrounded by a light green aura. " **Style Command: Fever Pitch**!"

"A new Style Command!" Chirithy noticed as Allen used his Dial Boots to rocket himself high in the air, as the Aqua Laguna had arrived and started to destroy the backstreets, raising buildings from their spot in the process.

"Oh man. Guthrie!" Allen called out to warn.

Guthrie was aware of the danger he was in and, with rapid strikes and kendo skills, slashed much faster and stronger than before, destroying all the Heartless and Dragoon Nobodies before he landed on a building and making a break for it away from the dangerous wave. Unfortunately, no man can ever outrun a wave as big as this. Just as Guthrie looked back to meet his maker, Allen landed right by his side and grabbed him.

" **Stag Leap Flare Impact!** " With the Impact Dial he equipped onto the sole of one boot, he shot the two of them into the air, enduring the recoil, as flames shooting out of the heel of his other boot as an extra boost, leading the trio over to the stone bridge where the rest of their crew were at.

As they flew, Guthrie could feel his arm piece absorb the darkness and energy of the Heartless and Nobodies he defeated, shining brightly before it shot out another medal. He ignored it as it flew behind them, but Chirithy managed to catch it in his bag. He looked in and recognized the magic spell. A Reverse Medal spell: Trick Firaga.

' _A fire-element spell, and a powerful one..._ ' he noted. ' _But Guthrie doesn't use fire magic, though..._ '

On one end, Luffy and Nami made it to the bridge. On the other, Zoro and Chopper arrived. In the middle, Guthrie, Allen and Chirithy managed to land safely on it. The crowd cheered as the team, in some miracle, escaped being consumed by Aqua Laguna.

As Luffy and Zoro were recovering, Nami and Chopper high-fived one another, congratulating the other for saving their allies. They looked back at Allen as he approached them with Chirithy on his shoulder, who was sighing in relief.

"We all made it back in one piece, huh?" the Shandian stated.

"Yeah, somehow..." Nami answered, looking at Guthrie, who was doubled-over, still on his feet, but exhausted. "What's with Guthrie and that aura? Is he okay?"

"He's still in his new Style Command," Chirithy noticed, looking back at his partner as he raised his head. "But man... How could he suddenly gain so much strength in one go? I mean, I didn't even think he would fuse medals together to form a new powerful one, let alone gain a new Style Command..."

As Guthrie looked at his friends ahead of him, he felt something, something in him told him that where they were standing wasn't a safe place at all. He turned to see the Aqua Laguna start to raise up, and was about to consume them all. The others noticed and were beginning to panic.

"No you don't!" Guthrie roared, unleashing the last of his Fever Pitch power, creating a storm of slashes that created a shockwave in a fan formation. The attack somehow parried the wave coming at them, making it split and go around the pirates.

"Guthrie!" Chopper cried out.

"Move, now! This bridge isn't safe!" he shouted, turning and running with everyone as they made a mad dash up the stairs. Chirithy gripped Allen's face, screaming in fear, as the latter tried to breath and see where he was going. The shockwave of the counselor's attack ended as the wave crashed down on the bridge. The citizens were just as shocked at the wave coming down, thinking it consumed them. However, they saw, to their amazement, the pirates had actually barely avoided the wave.

"Damn, that was close!" Zoro growled, while Allen was trying to pry Chirithy off of him.

Luffy and Nami looked at their crew, and noticed someone was missing.

"Wait, where's Guthrie?!" Nami asked.

"AAAAH! He got washed away by that wave!" Chopper cried out, fearing the worse.

"No!" Luffy gasped, looking back at the bridge, and seeing something that startled him. As the waves died down, someone else was out on the bridge, holding sturdy ropes as they were lengthened over to the broken part of the bridge.

It was Paulie, growling as he tried his hardest to keep a good grip to keep the broken part of the bridge up.

"It's the rope guy!" Luffy exclaimed, seeing him.

"Crap..." Paulie growled, skidding on the wet ground, but retaining his footing as his hands started to bleed from the rope burns.

"He's trying to save Guthrie!" Nami gasped as Luffy raced towards him.

" **Gomu Gomu no Grab**!" he shouted, stretching his arm into the center-point of where Pauley's ropes were. He felt Guthrie's vest in the water, grabbing it and yanking it back. The young man came flying out of the wave, his Keyblade in one hand and his new hat in the other, and toppled to the ground at his pair of saviors' feet, coughing and gasping for air.

"Hey, you okay?!" Luffy asked his counselor.

"Somehow..." he coughed, rising to his feet again.

"Hurry! We're not safe yet!" Paulie warned them, as another tidal wave was coming at them. "Run to the ship-building island!"

The trio turned tail and ran towards the stairs, the wave bearing down at them. Nami, Chopper and Zoro were calling out to them as Allen only had one eye to look while he was losing his breath under Chirithy's grip on his face. The wave came down on them as they made one final leap. The stone bridge and stairs shattered under the wave's power. Miraculously, Luffy, Paulie and Guthrie all managed to avoid all of that, and arrive on the island with the rest of the group, toppling to the ground from their leap.

"They made it!" Chopper cheered.

"Thank goodness...!" Nami sighed in relief.

Zoro smiled and nodded, but turned to see Allen topple over, nearly unconscious as he couldn't breath through a certain Dream Eater on his face.

Paulie relit his cigar as he growled to Guthrie. "You damn moron. You're lucky to be alive. What were you thinking, attacking the wave like you did?"

"Are you alright?! You're not hurt, are you?" Chopper asked Guthrie and Luffy, going into his Brain Point form.

"I'm fine, thanks to you guys," the counselor answered. "But man, that was way too close."

"If it hadn't been for your last move there, we all would've been swept away," Nami pointed out, shuddering a bit at the mere thought.

"Thanks, Guthrie," Luffy thanked him. "And thanks, rope guy. You saved my crew member."

"I had no idea Aqua Laguna would be like that. I can't stop shaking..."

"That wave scared me half to death!" Chopper pointed out. He then noticed Zoro placing a foot on Allen's chest as he bent down and tried to help the poor guy pry Chirithy off of his face.

"If it was that bad every year, we would be sunk," Paulie pointed out. "I'm just as surprised as you are. This ain't normal, at all."

"You pirates are one step short of crazy." The team turned to see Kokoro, along with Chimney and Gonbe. "You guys are lucky to be alive right now."

"Oh, hey, Monster Granny," Luffy greeted. "I didn't know you were here, too."

"Of course I am. I may be drunk, but you'll have to be stupid to stay at sea with this storm! Na-ha-ha-ha!"

"You guys were awesome!" Chimney followed up, looking at Luffy and Guthrie. "Your arms were like 'boing-boing' and your blade was all 'slash-swish'!" Gonbe nyad twice in agreement.

"Yeah, I know..." Luffy smiled and agreed.

"I'm just as surprised by my efforts as you were," Guthrie agreed, looking down at his Keyblade. "Where did that all come from?"

He heard Zoro, with Chopper's help, finally prying Chirithy off of Allen, the latter gasping for air as he demanded, "Are you trying to kill me?!"

As he breathed in a couple of breaths, Zoro took a good look at Allen's almost-murderer. "Looks like he passed out," he noticed, seeing Chirithy's blank eyes.

"How the hell can he pass out and keep that tight grip on me?!" the Shandian demanded.

"By the way, what were the two of you doing down below when the wave hit?" Luffy asked, looking at Guthrie and Zoro. "Couldn't you get away?"

"Got caught under some rubble after half the house fell on me," Guthrie answered, massaging his shoulder. "God, I can't believe how I am still alive. Guess being with you guys helps my endurance or something. What about you, Zoro?"

"Well...you know..." he started, not sure if he should say the embarrassing answer.

Unfortunately for him, Chopper answered the question. "Zoro got stuck up a chimney."

The blunt answer did not settle well with the swordsman as he, with a dark look, grabbed Chopper and started choking him.

Luffy found the entire thing hilarious, as he laughed and clapped his hands. "Zoro, you dope! I couldn't be that lame if I tried!"

Nami angrily grabbed the side of his mouth as she angrily retorted, "Don't forget, you got stuck between two buildings TWICE! You're both dopes, okay?!"

"And I thought my situation was embarrassing..." Guthrie muttered, while Allen was shaking and slapping Chirithy strongly and, due to the near-death experience with him, mercilessly. "Never mind that. Nami, Chopper, Allen, give us the rundown on our situation, along with where everyone else is at."

"Oh, yeah. There's a lot of things you guys need to know," the navigator realized, looking at Luffy still in her grip and Guthrie. "You too, Zoro." The swordsman didn't relinquish the choking doctor, while Allen finally got Chirithy to his senses, though he was dazed from the throttling and his face was quite bruised from the slaps.

And so, the trio had explained to the found members what really happened earlier, why Robin decided to leave them the way she did. To say they were shocked to hear the story again was an understatement, especially to Zoro who was hearing this for the first time.

"So you're saying Robin sacrificed herself for us?" he asked.

"That's right," Allen confirmed.

"And Sanji and Usopp are also on the train with her?" Guthrie asked.

"Yes," Nami answered.

"And not only that, but Xion-nee..." Chopper trailed off, as he and the rest of the guys took in what Nami and Guthrie told them about what became of their vice-captain.

"What do you want to do, captain?" Zoro asked Luffy.

The captain was looking back out to sea as he listened to the whole story again. Fist met palm as he then answered, "There's nothing to think about. Let's find Xion, sail out immediately after, and follow them!"

The shipwrights were looking at them, speechless, as they wondered if the captain was serious about what he had said.

"There's no other choice," Zoro spoke, getting back up on his feet.

One look at their faces, and everyone could tell. These guys... were serious about their captain's order.

"We're off... to rescue Robin!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in an abandoned-looking warehouse, Iceberg was doing some tinkering on something. After hearing that Nami was too late in finding and stopping Robin from boarding with the Government, he had a feeling he knew what they were going to do next, which led him to a warehouse than had not been used for years. It was a long shot, but after her claim that the Straw Hats' real battle was just beginning, he had a feeling they will be grateful what he was doing.

As he was working on his little 'gift', an odd shadow was slowly making its way towards the unsuspecting man. Slowly, it continued to inch closer. Once it was close enough, the Heartless within shot out to attack him... only to be attacked itself.

Iceberg heard the sound of something being struck down and paused in his work. "I see you're awake," he spoke without turning around. "I have to say, fate sure is a powerful thing. I was on my way here, then you suddenly showed up in a frenzy. Good thing you were having some kind of self-battle, or I wouldn't have even managed to knock you out unconscious when I did."

"I shouldn't be here," the person spoke. "I... shouldn't be anywhere..."

Iceberg put down his hammer and turned to them. "Whatever you do from here on out has nothing to do with me, but I will say what I said back there once more in case if you forgot it. They are still alive, and she left to protect you guys."

"And it's because of that I can't be anywhere near them! Not after what I did..."

"... I understand how you feel. Believe me, I do. I had- rather, have- a friend who was like you once. He made a decision that was for the good of us at first, until it was used against him. Well... I wouldn't call it a decision, as it was more of a habit or a hobby for him. After he saw his own creations get used the way they did, however, he tried to deny ever creating those, as they were meant to be used for purely good purposes. Never were they to be used against the innocents."

"Where are you getting at...?" the person asked Iceberg.

"Well... Basically what I'm saying is, don't let one negative thing, no matter how big, identify who you are. It may be a part of you, but it will never define you as a whole. No matter who it was that was in control of the results of your actions, you yourself are not guilty of it. No matter what, at least be proud of you yourself. That... was what our teacher taught him." Iceberg's thought went back to the time when he was just an apprentice of a shipwright, specifically his teacher's last moments just before he was sent off to be killed for something he was proud of doing as a shipwright.

The person he spoke to was silent, contemplating on what was said. "... Did your friend ever recover from it?" she asked.

"Depends on how you mean. But... You can say he's doing well now. As well as can be at least. But, we're not talking about him. We're talking about what you want to do to make up for what was done. Just like he did..." Though he muttered out the last part, the person definitely heard what he just said. "So, what are you going to do now... Xion?"


	14. Return to Us, Xion Boarding Rocketman

**Welcome... to another chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds. In this chapter, we will be seeing another... not really a flashback moment, but Xion will remember another sad part of her previous life. Which part of her life is it? Read and find out.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Ussop looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami Ussop are replaced by Zoro Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _'_ Where are you guys? _' Nami wondered. '_ Luffy... Zoro... You boys wouldn't be taken out by a leopard man like that, right? And Xion... _' Her mind went back to what happened when she last saw her vice-captain, a memory that she wants to forget, especially when she knew that it wasn't really her at that time. At least, that was what she hoped. '_ We finally know why Robin left us. _' One thought of said archeologist, and Nami continued to take off in a sprint. '_ Just you wait, Robin. I'm coming to rescue you with Luffy and the others without fail! _'_

 _"Nami!" she heard. Looking up, she saw Allen jumping down from the roof, Chirithy on his shoulder._

 _"Allen!" she gasped out. "What's up? Any good news?"_

 _"We haven't found Xion yet, but we know where Guthrie is!" the dancer told her._

 _"Wait, what's with this dried-up sea?!" Nami gasped._

 _"Don't those rubbles there look suspicious to you?!" Chirithy asked._

 _"I'll check it out!" Allen said, using his Dial Boots to shoot himself and Chirithy over to the debris._

 _Any normal person would not be able to notice it, but Nami saw it. Wedged between two large buildings, she saw him; Luffy was trapped between buildings._

 _"Hey! Where are you going?! Don't go down the backstreets!" Kokoro called out._

* * *

 _"So you're saying Robin sacrificed herself for us?" Zoro asked._

 _"That's right," Allen confirmed._

 _"And Sanji and Usopp are also on the train with her?" Guthrie asked._

 _"Yes," Nami answered._

 _"And not only that, but Xion-nee..." Chopper trailed off, as he and the rest of the guys took in what Nami and Guthrie told them about what became of their vice-captain._

 _"What do you want to do, captain?" Zoro asked Luffy._

 _The captain was looking back out to sea as he listened to the whole story again. Fist met palm as he then answered, "There's nothing to think about. Let's find Xion, sail out immediately after, and follow them!"_

 _The shipwrights were looking at them, speechless, as they wondered if the captain was serious about what he had said._

 _"There's no other choice," Zoro spoke, getting back up on his feet._

 _One look at their faces, and everyone could tell. These guys... were serious about their captain's order._

 _"We're off... to rescue Robin!"_

* * *

 _"I see you're awake," Iceberg spoke._

 _"I shouldn't be here," the person spoke. "I... shouldn't be anywhere..."_

 _Iceberg put down his hammer and turned to them. "... I understand how you feel. Believe me, I do. I had- rather, have- a friend who was like you once. He made a decision that was for the good of us at first, until it was used against him. Well... I wouldn't call it a decision, as it was more of a habit or a hobby for him. After he saw his own creations get used the way they did, however, he tried to deny ever creating those, as they were meant to be used for purely good purposes. Never were they to be used against the innocents. Basically what I'm saying is, don't let one negative thing, no matter how big, identify who you are. It may be a part of you, but it will never define you as a whole. No matter who it was that was in control of the results of your actions, you yourself are not guilty of it. No matter what, at least be proud of you yourself. That... was what our teacher taught him." Iceberg's thought went back to the time when he was just an apprentice of a shipwright, specifically his teacher's last moments just before he was sent off to be killed for something he was proud of doing as a shipwright._

 _The person he spoke to was silent, contemplating on what was said. "... Did your friend ever recover from it?" she asked._

 _"Depends on how you mean. But... You can say he's doing well now. As well as can be at least. But, we're not talking about him. We're talking about what you want to do to make up for what was done. Just like he did..." Though he muttered out the last part, the person definitely heard what he just said. "So, what are you going to do now... Xion?"_

* * *

After being told the truth of Robin's sacrifice, Luffy and the others were prepared to go after the sea train to rescue her.

"Hey, rope guy," Luffy called out to Paulie. "Please let us use a ship. No, rather than a ship, isn't there another sea train leaving?"

"Puffing Tom is the only sea train in this world," he told him. "It's a miraculous ship that is the result of the combined efforts of a team led by a legendary shipwright."

"Then let us borrow a ship! The strongest and fastest one in this town!"

"Enough already, you idiots!" Paulie's shout caught the crew by surprise. "Didn't you see what just happened?! Your comrade was almost pulled out to the sea by that wave!"

"That's right! There's no way you can set out to sea right now!" a shipwright agreed.

"Are you stupid?!" shouted another.

"Are you fools?!" came another.

"Even with the usual Aqua Laguna, no ship has made it through!" Paulie informed the pirates. "You saw the collapsing backstreets, didn't you? That town has never been damaged by Aqua Laguna until just now. On top of that, the Aqua Laguna this year is incomparably huge. If you put out a ship now, even if you challenge it with the biggest galleon, it will shatter the ship immediately. I can't let you sail out when I know you'll die. Wait until morning. Once the storm passes, you can borrow a ship then." Turning to the workers of Galley-La, he then ordered them, "Hey. You guys go to the evacuation site or someplace. We're done searching for the missing people."

"No we're not!" Allen corrected. "Xion is still out there! She may not have been in that city, but she's still somewhere in this city!"

"Likewise, if we wait until morning, can our wish come true?" Nami asked. "I know Enies Lobby. When I heard it was a Government Island, I remember something. Isn't that place... where the Gates of Justice are?"

Paulie's eyes widened at that question, while the rest of the crew were just confused.

"What's that?" Zoro asked.

"Enies Lobby is the Government-owned judicial island. What's there is the court in name only," Nami answered. "Being taken to Enies Lobby itself is considered to be proof of guilt. After passing through this empty court without stopping, criminals soon reach huge, cold steel doors. These doors are called the Gates of Justice. Once criminals go through them, they won't see the sunlight ever again; they're doors of despair. This is only because the only two places that you can reach. One is the greatest military force for the justice of this world, Navy Headquarters. The other is Impel Down, the large, deep-sea prison, where torture rooms and gallows stand side by side, that holds vicious prisoners who once ran amok all over the world. Enies Lobby is a judicial institution that criminals are just dumped into without being shown any mercy. Isn't that right?!"

Guthrie caught on to Nami's concerns. "Robin has a bounty on her head... It doesn't matter where she'll be taken. Either way, she will see hell! We wait any longer and it will be too late by then! Waiting until morning morning is not an option!"

Everyone was silent at those words. "If you know this much, I've only got one thing to say. Even if the sea were calm, and you were able to sail out, don't forget that you guys yourselves are pirates," Paulie reminded them. "As you said, Enies Lobby is the front door that leads to the World Government's hub. Naturally, battle lines are drawn up taking that into account. No pirate would think to get back crew members taken to that island because it's crystal clear what would happen. Are you trying to pick a fight with the hub of the World Government?!"

Luffy stayed silent and glared at the shipwright as he listened to his word of warning.

"H-He's right! You should give up!" one of the workers called.

"You can't sail out until morning because of Aqua Laguna!" another one called.

"Even if you go after them, you'll get killed!" exclaimed another.

"There's no chance of you guys surviving!" exclaimed another.

Luffy couldn't keep his mouth shut and his anger in any longer at these baseless accusations. "Then we'll steal a ship and go!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. As he shouted those words, as though agreeing with him, Aqua Laguna struck again, reaching the many shipwrights and nearly taking them back to the sea. "We're gonna sail out now! Our friends are waiting! Don't stand in our way!"

"E-Even the wave got angry!" Chimney gasped in shock, with Gonbe meowing in agreement.

Kokoro, on the other hand, stood speechless at this, as the other shipwrights spoke out shocked at the timing of the wave and the Straw Hat's declaration.

Paulie, not wanting the pirates to waste their lives for a seemingly lost cause, took his rope out, prepared to fight him. "Fine. I'll take you on!" In response, the rest of the Straw Hats got ready for combat as well.

"Hold it, you guys!" Kokoro called, grabbing their attention. "It's you who's wrong here, Straw Hat. Paulie is right, you idiot."

"Shut up! It's none of-"

"None of my business, right?" the lady interrupted the captain. "Well, listen. If we let you be, you're gonna risk your lives, aren't you? Look, if there exists a ship that can get through Aqua Laguna, it could only be a sea train built by a legendary man."

"But it's not here right now! That's why we need a ship!" Guthrie shouted this time.

Kokoro sighed at their insistence in leaving. "If you're prepared to die, then come with me. I'll give you a ride... on a sea train!"

* * *

Back at the warehouse, Iceberg continued to work on whatever it was he was fixing. As he was working, Xion kept the Heartless out of the warehouse, keeping them from stopping the guy from his business. Assisting her in that were Lightning and Idaten. As she fought, the vice captain of the Straw Hats thought back to what Iceberg told her, about how his friend's creations were used against him, and compared it to how she lost control of whatever dark power was in her. By the sound of it, his friend got over that mistake. And now... it was her turn to fix hers'.

" **Rising Rush!** " She charged at some nearby Gigas Shadow and knocked them all into the air. While they were airborne, she tossed her Keyblade in a Strike Raid, demolishing them all.

While she was distracted by that, some Turquoise March Heartless took their change to shoot some of their water energy balls at Xion, in which the girl noticed and managed to avoid at the last second. This, however, left her wide open to an attack by a new Heartless she had never seen before, known as a Water Core, as it shot some water attacks at her.

Lightning and Idaten, both who were occupied with their own set of enemies, grew concerned for their master when she got hit. They were about to rush to her, only to be blocked by other Marine Rumba and some Soldiers.

Xion painfully got up, her Fire of Shandora Keyblade back in her hand, as she faced her enemies. She had been fighting for quite a long while now, and she hadn't really fully recovered from when she was possessed.

' _Damn it..._ ' she mentally cursed. ' _Iceberg-san... Is he still not done with that?_ ' While she knew that even if he was done, she and her Dream Eaters would still have to keep the Heartless from entering the warehouse and messing 'it' up, at the very least Iceberg would be able to lend a bit of helping hand. At least, she hoped so, considering what she heard about how the top shipwrights of Galley-La gave Luffy a bit of trouble. She hoped Iceberg is able to fight at least somewhat despite his condition.

Unknown to her, a Gigas Shadow managed to sneak up on her from behind in the shadow. It jumped out and went to strike her down... until a stream of flames came and burnt it to crisp.

"Xion!" came a voice.

Xion's eyes widened when she heard that voice. She knew Iceberg told her, but it was still hard to believe, especially when she saw with her own two eyes...

The female Keyblade wielder turned to the source and saw, running to her side, with the Straw Hats, Kokoro, Chimney, and Gonbe... was Allen.

' _He's... really alive...?_ ' she thought.

While she was distracted, one of the few Rainy Loudmouth shot a musical note made of water at her. The attack would've hit, had Guthrie not used his own Strike Raid and blocked it.

"Get a hold of yourself, Xion! We're coming!" Guthrie shouted.

Snapped out of her shock, the vice captain returned to the battle at hand. Now that she had some backup, she felt some weight had been lifted off her shoulders in the fight. Soon enough, the Heartless had all been defeated.

"Xion! We finally found you!" Allen said in relief, as the girl returned her Dream Eaters back to their card forms.

Happy as she was to see him and Chopper alive and well, and without the hole in the former's chest, Xion took one look at Guthrie and was reminded of what she had done back at Galley-La. Even if it wasn't her at the time, it still didn't change the fact that she was the one who hurt them. Not only that... but there was one person missing from the group...

While the Keyblade wielder looked down guiltily at herself, her friends all crowded around her.

"Xion! Where the hell were you this whole time?!" Luffy asked, though happy to see his missing crew member. "Allen has been searching all over for you before he, Chirithy, Nami and Chopper found us!"

When she heard those words, Xion lifted her head and stared at him in shock. For some reason, something about those words sounded familiar to her.

"Y-You have? Oh... Sorry..." she apologized, stuttering a little, as she felt her head spark in pain. This guilt she felt, being with her friends like this... the feeling felt so familiar to her...

"It's okay. All that matters is that you're safe now (let's go home.)," Allen assured her. Like before with Guthrie though, back on Sky Island, his voice became distorted, shifting his voice with another's.

It wasn't just him, though. "We have a lot to catch up on. Most important thing is Robin didn't betray us at all (If you come back voluntarily, Saix will let all this drop. He has to.)," Guthrie informed, more glad that she was back to her normal self than her being okay.

Xion didn't say anything in response; just stood there in a daze, worrying most of them.

"Monster Granny said there's another sea train here (I don't care what he said to you.)! We're gonna board it and save Robin (I'll be there.)!" Luffy exclaimed, not at all noticing her strange behavior. "Come on! Let's go! (Me and Axel will make sure-)" Just as Luffy was going to grab her by the arm, Xion took a step back, surprising him and the others.

"I really can't..." Xion muttered out.

"Why not? Come on!" Luffy went to grab her again, but it made the situation worse, as she took another step back.

In Xion's head, in her eyes, Luffy and the others weren't there, nor was she in Water Seven. She was in a different city, one that was very familiar to her, and standing before her was a person in a black coat. She couldn't see his face, but by the sound of that person's voice, it was a boy. She didn't remember why she was avoiding him, but what she did remember was that she couldn't return to the place they both came from. Like what she did back then, Xion turned to run from them.

"Hey (Wait!)!" Zoro was the one to grab her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Xion-nee... What's wrong?" Chopper asked.

Whether his words weren't registered in her ears or she had ignored him entirely, no one knew... but Xion called back Fire of Shandora... and pointed her Keyblade at them. While Zoro was not one to be scared that easily, he released his hold on the vice captain. Not because he knew he couldn't beat her if they both went all out or because they may destroy the town if they did fight, but because he was not one to harm girls.

Unlike the others who kept their distance from Xion, Guthrie stepped up. "You mind if I take it from here, Luffy?" he asked.

"You sure you can handle her?" Zoro asked. "I may not know what happened at the mansion, but Nami said you barely held yourself against her."

"That was before I had a better resolve, and a drive to move forward. Xion's lost that. Now it is my turn, as her counselor and her guardian, to save her from herself." He continued on towards his fellow Keyblade wielder.

Upon seeing her challenger, and the very one she almost killed, Xion hesitated, and took a step back. "Just stay away from me, Guthrie," she told him. "I don't want to fight you again! I almost killed you!"

"Tch! If you could kill me, you could've done it much easier than how you did in the mansion," he answered, getting into his fighter's stance. "Honestly, that was just you being totally pathetic!" The crew was stunned at what he was saying. Where was the comfort he was suppose to deliver as a counselor?

"P-Pathetic?!" Xion questioned, stunned and irritated.

"You heard me. It was so easy that you were able to let the darkness take you over. To let those Organization guys control your emotions like that. And I bet that voice inside of you helped make that even worse. Honestly, you just soiled the title of Straw Hat vice-captain with your attitude in there."

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Xion roared. She charged forward on the rain-swept path, doing a leaping slash onto Guthrie, who countered with his own Keyblade.

"Make me!" Guthrie roared back, pushing Xion away from him, and charging in as the two engaged in a Keyblade duel with one another, their blades clashing over and over, parrying each other as they tried to find an opening.

"If you had a half-decent mind in there, you would realize that this is not the time for a guilt party!" Guthrie growled. "Robin is getting further and further away, and all of us realized that she sacrificed herself for us, and we have to rescue her. But you can't seem to follow the same path as us. Why?!" Guthrie clashed blades with Xion, but booted her in the gut to send her backwards, the wet ground making it hard to keep her balance as she slid to a halt.

"Like you're one to talk!" she retorted. "You went and left us first when our crew was falling apart! And yet you call yourself a counselor?! You hypocrite!" Xion casted a Firaga spell at her opponent, specifically at his feet. Once the spell made contact with the wet ground, steam erupted, blinding the guy. While he was distracted, Xion charged through the fog and swung Fire of Shandora at him, knocking him back.

Recovering somewhat from the hit, Guthrie retorted back, "You were the one who gave me permission to leave and gave me time away! Plus, at least I came back when a friend of ours need our help! You don't seem to want to help at all, and tell us why! Why don't you want to help us save Robin, who is sacrificing her life for us at this very moment! Unless if we go save her now, Robin is going to die for us! Don't you get that?!"

"Why would you care...?" Xion asked Guthrie, her eyes shadowed. "Why do you care about asking for my help?! I'll just end up getting taken over and unleash my attacks on you!"

"You don't know that..."

"Yes I do!" She unleashed a Blizzardara spell that froze the ground as it shot at Guthrie, who countered with a strong stab that destroyed the spell. "I'm still filled with darkness. I found that out the hard way in the mansion. The Organization knows it, and they will use it against me. They'll turn me against you."

"God! Now you're acting like a scared little girl!" Guthrie snapped. "You think after one encounter like this, you think they'll overtake you that easily? You're freakin' Starlight Blade Xion! I have seen you overcome opponents when they put you down, and you still get back up, becoming better than what you were before."

"Except this time, this is something I can't overcome!" Xion grimaced, sending Fire spells out at Guthrie, who ran around to avoid the fireballs. "This is not the first time this darkness took over me." Both Guthrie, Allen, and Chirithy widened their eyes when they heard that. She knew? "I may not know what happened those previous times, but what I do know is before that time in the mansion, I always black out whenever that darkness took over! You and Allen both... You both pretend that nothing happened, when something did happen during those times, did it?! I cannot allow myself to affiliate with the people I almost killed! The power I used... it still dwells within me. There's no doubt it will come again, and whether I want to or not, I will kill you!"

Guthrie turned and unleashed Savage Knives, destroying each of the fireballs, and sneaking the last four at Xion. They got her in her arms and legs, causing her to yelp and drop her Keyblade, causing her to fall to her knees.

"Is that what Xion is saying? Or is the Organization and that damn voice saying it?" Guthrie asked, standing mere inches away from her. "I know I'm one to talk about overcoming, but the fact is that I HAVE learned to accept my weaknesses, and get stronger. I have to, in order to protect Robin, you, and the rest of the crew. But you... You lost your drive. You're not fighting me, right now, but yourself. This is not just me being your counselor and guardian, but as your friend, like everyone here in the crew. We all wanna know; what are you really frightened about? What is gnawing at your heart, that you can't move onward? We're here to answer. After all..." Guthrie crouched down, and patted her head. "... You are our beloved friend, and we can't stand seeing you like this. We wanna help. So trust in us to help you..."

Xion looked down for a moment, the words of the ship's counselor ringing in her ears. She looked up again, her eyes watering as she not only looked to Guthrie, but to all of her crew mates behind him. She tried to stifle the tears, but Guthrie's words hit her so hard, causing so much joy at how they were not gonna give up on her, even after all she done to them. They saw her at her worst, and a couple almost got killed because of it, but they still stayed with her.

Without warning, Xion began to bawl. Her wails as tear fell down her face could be heard all throughout Water 7. The crew could only stand there, watching her as she cried with all her genuine heart.

* * *

After some time of crying, Xion got a hold of herself, wiping what remains of her tears away from her eyes. "S-Sorry about that..." she apologized.

"It's fine," Guthrie assured. "So, are you gonna help us bring Robin back?"

Xion looked down, placing a hand on her heart. "Even... Even if I lost myself to the darkness again...? And the organization gets what they want?"

"They won't!" Luffy spoke up. "You're our friend! No one and nothing is taking my friend away unless I give them permission to! And besides, you're vice-captain of the future Pirate King's crew. The only time you're allowed to lose to the darkness is if I tell you to!"

"As unreasonable as that is, Luffy's got a point," Zoro agreed. "You're one of us. Don't you forget it. You want to leave the crew? Fine. But the only time you do that is if our captain gives you permission to. And I highly doubt he will for a stupid reason like you're scared. How many times do you think we almost died since joining this crew anyway?"

"I'm going to do my best to help you out, too, Xion-nee!" Chopper said. "I know I'm not a miracle worker, but I am still the doctor of this crew. I'll try and make a drug that can help suppress that power. I managed to make my Rumble Balls and a few of your Skill Balls, after all."

"Luffy... Zoro... Chopper-kun..." Xion was touched at how her friends were so insistent on wanting her to stay despite now knowing of this frightening power of her's.

"It's like they said," Allen spoke. "Besides, I know about that power longer than them, and I'm still here with you, aren't I? And remember what I said when we were leaving my home? I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And I'll be damned if those Organization guys try to take you away. They want to get to you? They have to get past us, first." The guys all nodded in agreement to that.

"Besides, they have to especially fight Guthrie first if they want to take you away," Chirithy added.

"What do you mean 'especially'?" his partner questioned. "They have to fight all of us. Including you."

"What?! You know I can't fight!"

"You are part of this crew, though. And since we are all willing to put our lives down to keep Xion with us, that means you too!"

"You're asking for the impossible here!"

While Xion had been a part of their crew for so long now, she still couldn't believe how far they'd go for her. Robin was one thing; she who risked her own life for their's and pretended to kill off one of them. But Xion? She was close to really killing two of them, and she also had something in her, a power uncontrollable that could potentially kill her friends if she was not careful enough. And yet... they still accept her as she was.

The vice-captain was so happy, tears started to form in her eyes again, in which she quickly wiped away. "Thanks guys..." Xion casted a Curaga magic on herself, healing her wounds, and stood back up. "So... Enough dilly-dallying. We have an idiot pirate to save. And likewise, I have an idiot pirate to pound some sense into, pulling off a stupid stunt like she did. And she's suppose to be one of the sane ones amongst us, too..."

Those words got the guys smiling, glad that they have the old Xion back.

Kokoro let out a laugh. "Glad you guys got that settled now," she said. "The sea train I told you about is right in this warehouse here." The crew, her granddaughter and pet turned to the building she spoke of. "This warehouse has been abandoned for more than eight years. When it comes to sea train, it's been untouched for more than twelve years."

"Let's go, Chopper!" Luffy called, as he already rushed down the steps, with the man-reindeer following.

"It may no longer run, though!" Kokoro called, causing the pair to stop.

"Hey! That would be a problem!"

"Not really," Xion corrected, getting everyone's attention. "It's being fixed up right now. In fact, with the amount of time I gave him, he should be done with it at this point. Honestly, does that guy have any idea how many Heartless was out here that I had to keep out of that place so he could work in peace? I could've died had you guys not arrived in time."

"'He'?" Allen repeated in a questioned tone.

"So wait, someone already has it fixed?! Then let's go!" Luffy excitedly ordered, as he and Chopper resumed their run.

"I said he should, not he is!" Xion shouted, only to be ignored.

"Let's just go," Guthrie said, as he followed after the pair.

"Luffy is not one to stop once he sets his mind to something, right? Might as well follow our leader," Allen agreed, as he and the others also followed.

Xion smiled softly at that fact and also walked. As she caught up to the group, she realized one thing. "Oh, by the way Allen." The dancer turned to her, wondering what she called him out for. Next he knew, she slapped him in the face, with the sound effect echoing in the hall and grabbing the others' attention again, as he fell to the floor. "That was for making me think you died!"

"This again?! It's not my fault Robin-!" Allen was cut off, as Xion pulled him back to his feet, and pecked her lips on his. This swift action caught the guy so off guard, he was speechless.

"That's for being alive," she muttered, rushing over to the door. "The sea train is just up ahead. Come on."

Allen, as well as everyone watching, was speechless at what had just occurred, especially the dancer. ' _Did that just happen?_ ' he wondered repeatedly in his head.

"Huh. Who'd have thought?" Zoro said, finding some amusement in this. Specifically how heartbroken a certain someone will be when he finds out about this.

"Grandma, grandma! Just now, did that pirate lady...?!" Chimeny excitedly asked.

Kokoro let out a hearty laugh, interrupting her granddaughter. "This really isn't your normal pirate crew!" she stated.

As Xion caught up with Luffy and Chopper, the former of the duo asked, "Hey, Xion! Why did you slap Allen?!" As he and Chopper was quite far from the rest of the group, they didn't really see nor hear well what happened back there.

"It's nothing! Now come on!" she quickly answered, opening the wooden doors in front of them.

On the other side of the doors was a large room. And within it, as promised, was a sea train.

"Whoa! There it is!" Luffy excitedly called. "This looks cool!"

"Amazing!" Chopper gasped, just as amazed as his captain.

Catching up to the trio, Kokoro warned, "I'm warning you, this is a crazy train. Its name is Rocketman. We can't even allow passengers to be on board."

"Rocketman!"

"It sounds fast!"

Both Luffy and Chopper were instantly in love with this sea train, as they stared at it with wide, sparkling eyes.

"Cool!" Chimney exclaimed, with Gonbe meowing in agreement.

"What's with the face, though?" Zoro asked.

"Apparently it's added as a joke," Xion answered, recalling Iceberg's words when she asked about it.

A door was heard opening on board, and the group saw Iceberg walking down the steps.

"Ice pops!" Luffy called in surprise.

"Straw Hat... So you really were okay," he said. "Just like what your friend said. So you brought them here, Kokoro-san?"

"Looks like you survived, huh, Iceberg? What are you doing here?" Kokoro asked.

"Starlight Blade didn't tell you? The fact that we both are here means that we were thinking the same thing. We just can't help giving idiots a hand, can we?"

Xion took offense to that. "Hey. This 'idiot' risked her life giving you time you need to fix that damn thing," she reminded him.

Iceberg let out a small chuckle as she said that, taking a seat on one of the wooden boxes. "Well, if you're considering yourself as one, that means your mind is made up, isn't it?"

A small smile formed on her face as he said that. "Yeah. Besides, someone has to watch over these guys. We're going to a Government Island, after all."

The mayor seemed happy with her response. "I finished servicing it. Water and coal have been loaded and it's storing the steam right now."

"So you were getting it ready for us, pops!" Luffy realized, staring excitedly at Rocketman.

"Wait to rejoice until you survive the ride," he told him. "After all, this was a failure built before the Puffing Tom was completed. No matter how much you tune it up, its steam engine can't control its speed. I can't guarantee your lives."

"Okay! Thanks, Ice Pops!" Luffy then grabbed some wooden stairs and dragged it to one of the passenger doors. "All right! Let's go! Guys! Get on board!"

"Wait, what about Nami?" Allen asked.

"Now that you mentioned it, where did she go?" Xion questioned.

"Don't know. She just told us to go on ahead and ran off," Chirithy answered.

"Seriously?"

"We're leaving as soon as Nami comes!" Luffy said, opening the door. He almost lost his balance as he did so, which was quite worrying.

"Luffy! Are you okay?" Chopper asked. "You've been shaky on your feet for a while, even though Guthrie healed us up with his magic."

"He probably bled too much," Zoro guessed, as that was one of the few things he knew the Cure spell could not heal.

"I kind of feel weak. If only we had meat or something..." Luffy complained.

"I don't think that's going to help much," Allen said. "Though some food does sound good."

"Sorry it took so long!" came a familiar voice.

"Nami..." Zoro called, as they saw the girl entering the room with a pair of train conductors behind her, both pulling a cart with a large bag on it.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Luffy demanded.

Nami ignored him and took a good look at the sea train they were going to take, quite impressed with it. "Wow, amazing! This is a sea train, too?"

"Whoa... I never knew there was another one in a place like this," one of the conductors said.

"I'm surprised!" the other one said.

As Nami went to the bag on the cart, Luffy questioned her. "Where have you been, Nami?! Who was it that said we didn't have time?! And what the hell is that stuff?!"

"Meat and beverages." As soon as the navigator put removed the bag out of the cart and answered his question, not even a second later, it was dragged to the door and both Luffy and Zoro began to consume whatever was in it, especially the captain.

"Sorry I complained!" he apologized, stuffing his face with meat.

"That was too fast!" Xion, Guthrie, Chirithy and Allen shouted.

Kokoro stationed herself up front in the engine room.

"If you can get on the railway after going out to the sea via a canal, that'll be a success for the time being," Iceberg informed.

"Don't worry. I'm more experienced at operating it than you are. You take it easy and rest here," the old lady assured. "Chimney and Gonbe should be playing around there. Please take care of them."

"Yeah." Though Iceberg knew what he promised her what he'll do, his mind was on something else.

Knowing him since he was just a shipwright apprentice, Kokoro knew what was on his mind. "Well, I bet he's fine." Iceberg looked to her in confusion. "We're talking about a guy who survived being hit by a sea train. On top of that, we have the King of the Pirates and his friends."

Footsteps were then heard entering the room. "Starlight Blade!" came a voice.

Everyone turned to the doors and saw, to their surprise, a familiar group of people standing there.

"Who are they?" Luffy asked, his mouth full of food.

"The Franky Family..." Allen grimaced.

"At a time like this...!" Zoro grumbled, getting ready to fight.

"What the hell do you guys want?" Xion asked, as she was the one they called out. "If you want another fight for my head, I suggest doing that at another time. We don't have even a moment to waste with you."

"Please... Take us with you!" Zambai requested. "I heard from the Galley-La people that you're going to Enies Lobby! Our bro, Franky, was taken in by the Government! We want to go after them, but we can't get through the Aqua Laguna by ourselves!"

"It's the World Government you're up against," Kokoro reminded the group.

"It doesn't matter who it is!"

"We're gonna get our bro back!" Kiev exclaimed.

"We'd give up our lives for him- waina!" one of the female twins in yellow exclaimed.

"Please! Help us! Starlight Blade!" pleaded the other twin in pink.

"Please! Bro is in danger!" one of the guys pleaded further.

"Give me a break! Do you know what you've been doing to us?!" Nami questioned, not at all willing to help after what they had done to a former member of their crew.

Zambai, knowing full well that pleading for their help was not going to be enough, especially after what they did, fell to his knees. "We do! We're swallowing our pride and begging you! We want to save Bro!" he sobbed.

Xion kept quiet at the sight of this. On one hand, like Nami, she still held a slight grudge against them. On another, like the Straw Hats, the Franky Family want to save someone important to them all. Seeing those guys like this, she wants to help them. But, that was not her call to make.

"Hey, captain. What do we do?" she asked Luffy.

The rubberman had been chowing down on a chicken leg as this was going on, witnessing these guys' pleading and how much they wanted to save Franky. Swallowing the remains in his mouth, he walked up the stairs to the sea train. "Get on," he told them, to Nami's shock. "Hurry!"

Knowing that he was giving them the okay made the whole family really happy, relieved that they'll be able to save Franky.

Zambai knelt there, shocked that despite what they did to the pirates, the captain was still willing to help. "Straw Hat..."

"Hey, Luffy!" Nami called, wondering if they guy had gone mad.

"Oh, it'll be fine," he told her.

"Leave it be, Nami. This is Luffy we're talking about," Guthrie told the navigator.

"You really think he'll change his mind, Nami?" Xion asked, reminding the navigator of their captain's one-tracked mind.

"Thank you!" Zambai bowed. "We're deeply indebted to you!"

"Hurry it up!" Luffy told them.

"Ah! But we don't have to get on the train." The crew got confused when Zambai said that. "We'll jump out to the sea using our King Bulls at the same time you do. So all you need to do is let us hold on to the end of the train."

"King Bulls?" Zoro repeated in a questioned tone.

"Isn't that one of the three bulls of Water Seven?" Chirithy asked.

"Thanks for letting us go with you! Well then, see you later!" Zambai said, as he and the rest of the gang left the room. "Let's go!"

"Hey, I asked a question here!" the Dream Eater shouted, but was sadly ignored.

"Now, now. Let's just get on board," Allen calmed.

"There's still some food and drinks left over. We can eat the rest during the ride there," Guthrie noticed, tying up the bag and getting on Rocketman with it.

With that, the rest of the Straw Hats also boarded on the train. Seconds later, with a bit of help from Chopper's Heavy Point's muscle work with the coal, Rocketman started moving. Luffy went up to the chimney part and sat there to enjoy the ride better.

"Now, pirates! Don't go getting thrown off, okay?! Now departing Water Seven for Enies Lobby... Here comes the sea train, Rocketman!" Kokoro announced.

"All right! Depart!" Luffy cried out. "We're gonna go! To get everything back!"

Rocketman's steam whistled blew in response to the claim.


	15. Rescue Our Friends, Smash the Wave

**We are here for another chapter! Here, we have the great, speedy train who knows no bounds, Rocketman, facing off against the deadly... massive... dangerous storm, the Aqua Laguna! What will happen here? What sort of dangers lie beyond? Read and find out!**

 **Ahem, but before that, to all of you fellow JRPG people out there, a poll has been put up on the profile of a good friend of mine, Jacob Pendra-Huth, regarding the American Switch version of 'Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore'. What is the poll of exactly? Whether the game should be censored, not censored, or have the option to. To those of you who don't know of the game, the censorship is basically about how much skin is being shown. While I, as a female, am not that comfortable with showing much skin myself, the amount of skin being shown on here is not that big of a deal for Nintendo to panic over. I mean, there are these group of people called gymnasts who some times show just as much skin, swimmers who sometimes show more, and let us not forget some famous signers out there. To this day I still remember that one live show a female singer had done that I want to forget. So yeah... Please do give your vote on Jacob's poll in his profile!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion and Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion and Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Usopp looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami and Ussop are replaced by Zoro and Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion and Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen and Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Then we'll steal a ship and go!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs. As he shouted those words, as though agreeing with him, Aqua Laguna struck again, reaching the many shipwrights and nearly taking them back to the sea. "We're gonna sail out now! Our friends are waiting! Don't stand in our way!"_

 _Kokoro sighed at their insistence in leaving. "If you're prepared to die, then come with me. I'll give you a ride... on a sea train!"_

* * *

 _"Xion! We finally found you!" Allen said in relief, as the girl returned her Dream Eaters back to their card forms._

 _"Xion! Where the hell were you this whole time?!" Luffy asked, though happy to see his missing crew member. "Allen has been searching all over for you before he, Chirithy, Nami and Chopper found us!"_

 _"Xion-nee... What's wrong?" Chopper asked._

 _"God! Now you're acting like a scared little girl!" Guthrie snapped. "You think after one encounter like this, you think they'll overtake you that easily? You're freakin' Starlight Blade Xion! I have seen you overcome opponents when they put you down, and you still get back up, becoming better than what you were before."_

 _"Except this time, this is something I can't overcome!" Xion grimaced, sending Fire spells out at Guthrie, who ran around to avoid the fireballs. "This is not the first time this darkness took over me." Both Guthrie, Allen, and Chirithy widened their eyes when they heard that. She knew? "I may not know what happened those previous times, but what I do know is before that time in the mansion, I always black out whenever that darkness took over! You and Allen both... You both pretend that nothing happened, when something did happen during those times, did it?! I cannot allow myself to affiliate with the people I almost killed! The power I used... it still dwells within me. There's no doubt it will come again, and whether I want to or not, I will kill you!"_

 _"You are our beloved friend, and we can't stand seeing you like this. We wanna help. So trust in us to help you..."_

 _Xion looked down for a moment, the words of the ship's counselor ringing in her ears. She looked up again, her eyes watering as she not only looked to Guthrie, but to all of her crew mates behind him. She tried to stifle the tears, but Guthrie's words hit her so hard, causing so much joy at how they were not gonna give up on her, even after all she done to them. They saw her at her worst, and a couple almost got killed because of it, but they still stayed with her._

 _Without warning, Xion began to bawl. Her wails as tear fell down her face could be heard all throughout Water 7. The crew could only stand there, watching her as she cried with all her genuine heart._

* * *

 _"Oh, by the way Allen." The dancer turned to her, wondering what she called him out for. Next he knew, she slapped him in the face, with the sound effect echoing in the hall and grabbing the others' attention again, as he fell to the floor. "That was for making me think you died!"_

 _"This again?! It's not my fault Robin-!" Allen was cut off, as Xion pulled him back to his feet, and pecked her lips on his. This swift action caught the guy so off guard, he was speechless._

 _"That's for being alive," she muttered, rushing over to the door._

 _On the other side of the doors was a large room. And within it, as promised, was a sea train._

 _"Whoa! There it is!" Luffy excitedly called. "This looks cool!"_

 _"What's with the face, though?" Zoro asked._

 _"Sorry it took so long!" came a familiar voice._

 _"Hey! What are you doing?!" Luffy demanded. "Where have you been, Nami?! Who was it that said we didn't have time?! And what the hell is that stuff?!"_

 _"Meat and beverages." As soon as the navigator put removed the bag out of the cart and answered his question, not even a second later, it was dragged to the door and both Luffy and Zoro began to consume whatever was in it, especially the captain._

 _"Sorry I complained!" he apologized, stuffing his face with meat._

 _"That was too fast!" Xion, Guthrie, Chirithy and Allen shouted._

 _"Starlight Blade!" came a voice. "Please... Take us with you!" Zambai requested._

 _"Get on," Luffy told them. "Hurry!"_

 _"Now, pirates! Don't go getting thrown off, okay?! Now departing Water Seven for Enies Lobby... Here comes the sea train, Rocketman!" Kokoro announced._

 _"All right! Depart!" Luffy cried out. "We're gonna go! To get everything back!"_

 _Rocketman's steam whistled blew in response to the claim._

* * *

It took not even a minute for the Rocketman to be out of the tunnel. The crew looked out and found themselves going out an underground tunnel.

"We're coming out at a place like this?!" Nami gasped.

"It's an underground canal," Kokoro said, as Rocketman landed on the water and continued on forward at high speed.

"Luffy! Are you okay?!" Nami asked.

The captain coughed as he hung on to the top of the sea train. "I got some water in my nose..." he said.

"Of course you would, standing out there!" Xion shouted.

"Boy, I didn't see that coming. But... it's getting fun!" Just as Luffy said that, the group suddenly felt the sea train descending. "H-H-Hey! Monster granny! Hey, aren't we falling?!"

Kokoro was just drinking her bottle of wine away, laughing. "The exit is real close now. We'll keep on going and go down in one shot!"

Those words caused Nami to panic, as Rocketman went straight down the steep slope, with her screaming.

Not long after, the sea train shot out of the canal, and into the sea. However...

"Hey! We're slanting to the side!" Chirithy informed, noticing how close the ocean was getting on his side, the right side of the train.

Instantly, both Guthrie and Xion went to that side, and pointed their Keyblades out the window. " **Aeroga!** " Both casted their wind magic and managed to slowly set the Rocketman right up. As they casted their spells, both Keyblade wielders could've sworn they heard something from behind them, but paid no mind to it, as they assumed it was just the wind and rain.

"Starlight Blade! Straw Hat! Thank you for helping us, the entire Franky Family!" they then heard loud and clear.

"Huh?" Xion turned to look behind them and saw the Franky Family following behind them with a pair of King Bulls. "Fire the connection cannons!" Next they knew, cannon fires were heard and the back of the train was suddenly hit, much to Zoro, Nami and Xion's shock and surprise, as they were closest to the back.

Rocketman hit the sea and continued on along the waters. Luffy hung on to the top rails and noticed the pair of King Bulls behind them. "Whoa! Cool!" he exclaimed.

"Those must be the highest-grade bulls," Kokoro noticed.

Meanwhile, in the passenger section, Zoro, Nami and Xion coughed from the dust that was picked up by the connection cannon hitting the back of Rocketman.

"Those bastards..." the three-sword-style swordsman muttered, going to a window. "You idiots! Don't be reckless!" Sadly, the Franky Family disregarded that and thanked Luffy and Xion once more for letting them come along.

Kokoro let out a laugh at this. "What a cheerful bunch."

"Hey, monster granny!" Luffy called. "Is this the fastest it can go? It's not fast at all."

Indeed, the speed the sea train was moving at didn't even seem to be as fast as the Puffing Tom. If anything, it was moving at twice the speed of a ship.

"Well, just hold your horses. Once it gets on the railway, you'll see."

"Railway? Where the heck is that?" Luffy asked.

"Looks like it's drifted quite a ways ahead. But I've observed the sea train since its development. Don't underestimate me!" Kokoro stared at the sea waters, trying to find out where the railway was from the raging waters. In the eyes of normal people, no one would be able to see the railway. However, as Kokoro said, since she had been around since it was first developed, she had eyes for where the tracks are. "I see it! Let's go!" At that, she steered the sea train right to where she saw the railway tracks.

"Urgent message from the engine room!" she spoke through the speaker for those in the passenger cart to hear. "The train will get on the railway shortly. Once it does, it will rapidly accelerate! Hold on tight to something so that your injuries won't be severe."

"So we'll get injured regardless?" Nami questioned.

"Oh come on. How fast will we get?" Chirithy asked.

As he asked that, the train rocked a bit roughly, no doubt hitting a wave. But that didn't stop Rocketman, as it continued its way towards the underwater tracks. Unfortunately, because of the wave, it missed and didn't get to its destination.

"Tsk! I missed. But I'm just getting started!" Kokoro said, redirecting Rocketman to the tracks once more. While she managed to get the wild sea train right on top of the tracks, it was connecting the two together that was tricky. Especially with the sea being strong enough to prevent the two from coming together and the train itself being a crazy one, as Kokoro had said before they got on. "Hey! Behave!"

"Grandma! That was close! That was close! A little to the right!"

"Nya!"

"Just wait and see! I'll make it next- Huh?!" Kokoro stopped herself when she noticed who those pair of voices belonged to and looked up on top of Rocketman. "Chimney! Gonbe! You guys came with us?!"

Chimney let out a laugh at the question. "Yep, we did!" she answered, with Gonbe meowing in agreement.

"For God's sake! Hurry up and come inside! Or you'll be blown away!"

"We're okay! We're okay!" Chimney spoke a bit too soon about that, as Rockeman hit another wave and she and Gonbe almost fell off the sea train. Thankfully, she was fast enough to grab onto the top rail. "I'm gonna fall!" she said with a laugh.

"D-Don't let go!" Kokoro called out.

"I'm getting blown away!"

"H-Hold on a sec, okay? I'll stop the sea train right away!" As she tried to pull the brake to stop the Rocketman from moving, it was then she realized one important thing. "Oh! That's right! The brake doesn't work on this train!"

Xion poked her head out the window upon faintly hearing a commotion outside. "Hey! What's wrong?" she asked. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Chimney and Gonbe hanging on to the train's rooftop. "Wha-?! Chimney! Gonbe!"

Her shout got the other Straw Hats' attention, as they also looked out the window and saw the girl and her pet hanging on. "Huh?! What the hell is she doing up there?! It's way too dangerous!" Guthrie exclaimed.

"Man..." Xion started to climb out of the train, much to her crewmates shock.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Nami asked.

"What does it look like?!" The vice captain made it to the top of the sea train and made her way over to the pair. Due to the rain She summoned her Keyblade out and pointed it at Chimney and Gonbe.

She saw Luffy shakily making his way to the dangling pair and thought for a moment that she didn't have to help after all.

"Oops! Hm? What the heck? That looks kind of fun." Until she heard that.

' _Is he for real?!_ ' she thought, regretting ever thinking Luffy would know a kid in that sort of danger when he sees one.

"Ah! Straw Hat brother! Hi!" Chimney greeted, with Gonbe meowing.

"Straw Hat! Hurry and get Chimney and Gonbe inside!" Kokoro called. "Once we're on the railway, they'll be blown away!"

Now realizing the danger the two are in, Luffy reached out to them. Unfortunately, it was at that point Rocketman successfully got on the rails and, as Kokoro had promised, rapidly accelerated. It was so fast, Xion stabbed her Keyblade down to prevent herself from being blown away.

' _What the-?! This really is fast!_ ' she thought. A familiar scream was heard, and she looked up to see Luffy, Chimney and Gonbe getting blown away.

Xion thought fast and raised a hand up. " **Collision Magnet!** " A force of sort appeared around her hand and shot some kind of light at the trio. Good news, it hit Chimney and Gonbe. Bad news, Luffy wasn't included. "Luffy!"

Thankfully, the boy noticed his vice using the spell and stretched his arm out to grab hold of her. Next they knew, Luffy withdrew himself all the way to her at the same time as her Collision Magnet spell brought Chimney and Gonbe over to her. The combined force collided with Xion, who didn't think that far in the rescue, and got herself tumbling off the side of Rocketman.

' _Damn it! We're gonna fall!_ ' she thought.

Next she knew, a hand grabbed her wrist, saving her, Luffy, Chimney and Gonbe from falling into the ocean, the latter three who latched onto the Keyblade wielder.

"You okay, Xion?!" Allen asked, managing to get the girl in time, with Guthrie holding on to the dancer.

"Allen! Guthrie!" the female Keyblade wielder called in relief.

"We're getting you guys inside!" the male wielder said.

"Yeah! Thanks, you guys!" Luffy gratefully thanked.

"Thanks a lot, pirate guys!" Chimney followed, with Gonbe meowing.

* * *

Minutes later, after some struggling against Rocketman's newfound speed, the Straw Hats successfully managed to get the rescued inside.

"Ah... I thought I'd die..." Luffy and Chimney sighed in relief, with Gonbe lying on the floor unconscious.

"Well, obviously! Geez, I told you, didn't I?! I said you'd get blown away!" Kokoro scolded, joining the pirates in the passenger cart with a Zambai and the twins, and a few others.

"The idiots..." Xion sighed, taking some time to catch her breath from the experience.

"What does that make you?" Nami asked, referring to how she let her habit take over to save their captain, the child, and her pet.

"Shut up."

"Anyway, that acceleration sure was crazy," Luffy stated.

"Yeah, really. That scared me."

"I hit my lower back..."

"Just a second... There are weird guys in here," Zoro spoke, sitting down with arms crossed as he refers to the elephants in the room.

"What?! Who's that?!"

"You guys!"

"You too!"

Somehow, someway, before any of them noticed at all, Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone snuck onto the sea train without anybody knowing at all.

"When the hell did you guys get on? I don't remember seeing you guys with Iceberg-san when he was working on this thing, nor did I see you guys passing through the Heartless to get to that warehouse," Xion questioned.

"Yeah, and we left Paulie back by that bridge when Kokoro was leading us to Rocketman," Chirithy added.

"A secret," all three answered.

"So why are you guys here?" Allen asked, passing Luffy one of the leftover meat they have.

"I decided to go with you guys," Paulie said. "No matter how hard I tried to stop you, you didn't stop. The enemy you'd go this far to rescue your friend from is also the culprit who tried to kill Iceberg-san. In addition, there are lots of things I wanna say to them!"

Tilestone let out a short laugh. "Paulie! We're not gonna let you steal all the glory! Thinking that we'd be able to find Iceberg-san's assassins if we followed you, we hid in the tender together!"

"So it seems we were right. Let us join you guys in this battle," Lulu requested, pushing back some of his hair that's sticking out... Only for it to somehow pop out from the back of the hand pushing it down.

"Wait, how the hell does that work?!" Guthrie asked, shocked to see hair popping out of the guy's hand.

"Huh? Oh, I'm used to it," Lulu simply answered.

"That's not what I asked..."

"In any case, don't forget the foes you're gonna get revenge on took Big Bro Franky as well!" Zambai added.

"That's right- waina! And we clearly know who they are- waina!" Kiwi, the pink twin, added on to that.

"Hey, Galley-La! How are you gonna take responsibility if something happens to Bro- waina?!" the yellow twin, Mozu, demanded.

"Shut up! It's Iceberg-san who's endured the most!" Paulie begged to differ.

"What are you guys going on about?! Paulie! First, explain it to us! What's going on?!" Tilestone asked, for he and Lulu still have yet to know the culprits that framed the Straw Hats.

"He's right, Paulie," Lulu agreed with the big guy. "You know the true culprit, don't you? Just tell us. We're not that dense. We have a rough idea as to who it is. We're not gonna be surprised."

The rope user sighed, as he himself knew it was a matter of time until the pair found out the truth. He couldn't keep it from them like he did to the others back on Water Seven. "Well, I guess you could guess if they suddenly disappeared for no reason. Then I'll tell it to you straight. The true identities of those masked men are... Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno from the bar. It was them who tried to kill Iceberg-san."

As he looked up to meet them in the eyes, instead of neutral expressions of any kind, both Tilestone and Lulu went pale in extreme surprise, jaw threatening to drop to the floor!

Paulie was speechless at their expressions. "What?! You never even guessed that?!"

"B-but you said they went back to their hometowns!" Lulu pointed out.

"Why would they, during an emergency situation like this?!"

"We thought it was Michael and Hoychael from the backstreets!" Lulu reasoned.

"That's right!" Tilestone nodded.

"Who the hell are they?!" Paulie, clearly unfamiliar with the names, questioned.

Allen leaned towards Xion's ear and whispered, "Are humans in the blue sea usually this...?"

"Stupid? Ridiculous?" she finished the question for him, in which the dancer nodded to. "Then yes."

"All right!" Luffy called, bringing all attention to him. "Man, I sure ate a lot. I'm finally full." He stood up on his feet. "Well, then... Although we got into fights back in town with both the Franky Family and the Galley-La shipwrights, we're all going after the same enemy now. Besides the two in black coats, the strongest one among the guys we're gonna fight is the pigeon guy. He's mine; I'm definitely going to beat him up."

"Yeah. This is a battle to get back what those four took from us," Zoro agreed. "In any case, if we don't reach them, nothing will end."

"What about those two guys in black coats?" Paulie asked.

"Leave those two to me," Xion answered. "They're part of an organization I once worked with. The very same organization I ran away from for a reason. I may not remember why, but I definitely don't want to go back. And if beating them is the only way I can make them see that, then I have to."

"Not alone. We're helping you out," Chirithy spoke.

"By 'we', you mostly mean 'me', don't you?" Guthrie asked, lightly glaring at his Dream Eater.

"Not true. I'm helping out, too," Allen spoke, causing everyone, mainly his fellow Straw Hats, to look at him in shock.

"Allen, you can't! We're talking about the organization that Xion worked with! Did you forget what happened back on-?!"

"I haven't forgotten!" Allen interrupted Nami. "That's why I want to help! I'm not going to throw my life away, but I'm not going to lose those I care about to people like them! Not again. I'm not the same Shandian as I was back then. Besides, I made a promise. And I'm seeing to it until the end."

Xion knew what he was referring to in those lines. From when she was defeated by Larxene the first time to the promise Allen made to her just before they left the island. And let's not forget when they were facing against Aokiji. She could tell he really didn't want the same thing to happen on his watch.

"Grandma! Grandma! It's Aqua Laguna!" Chimney called out.

"Oh? It's already here?" Kokoro simply asked.

"Chimney. Let me see," Nami spoke. The navigator opened a window and poked her head out. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of what's ahead of them. "Kokoro-san! Is it okay for you to leave the engine room at a time like this?! We somehow need to dodge that huge wave!"

The old drunk let out a laugh. "Didn't I tell you? We can't control Rocketman. Even when we want to operate it, nothing works, including the brake. My job ended when we got on the railway. Hence, the train is always running at full throttle. No one can stop it anymore."

Chirithy climbed up on a seat and looked out the window Nami opened. His eyes bugged out at what they were heading towards. "What the-?! How are we suppose to get past that?!" he asked.

"Luffy! If we don't do anything, the train will crash into a big wave!" Nami warned.

The captain ignored the warning, as he simply raised an arm. "When we have the same goal, it's senseless to fight separately."

"Yeah," Zambai nodded.

"You're right," Paulie agreed.

The pair did what Luffy did and also raised an arm, grabbing each other's forearms to form their alliance with each other.

"Listen. We're comrades. Out friends are also in the train that left before us. Our fighting force will still increase," Luffy continued. "Guys! Don't let that big wave stop us! We'll all achieve our goal! Let's go!"

"Yeah!" everyone shouted in agreement.

"Now guys! Show me what you can do against this wave!" Kokoro told the fighters.

"All right! Fire all the cannonballs we have at that wave!" Zambai ordered his guys.

"When it comes to cannons, leave it to me!" Tilestone assisted.

"Franky Family! Don't be intimidated by the wave! Prepare the cannons!" The called group all let out shouts in agreement as they grabbed with weapons to stop the oncoming wave.

Just then, a familiar ring tone was heard from Nami. The girl pulled the top part of the shirt and looked down at her chest. "Ah! The portable Den Den Mushi is ringing!" she said.

"Why'd you put a Den Den Mushi in there?!" Guthrie asked, turning away from the navigator.

"It's from Sanji-kun!" Nami took out the snail and answered it.

"Nami-san! Nami-san, can you hear me?" came Sanji's voice.

"Yep. Is that you, Sanji-kun?" she asked.

"Things are taking a turn for the worse here."

"Turn for the worse?" Just then, the snail made a small scream, in a voice that wasn't Sanji's. "Sanji-kun! What was that voice?! Hey! What's going on, Sanji-kun?!"

"Yeah... Because of that idiot..." came Sanji's voice.

"Huh? Idiot?" Just then, the snail made another screaming sound, in another different voice. "Again! What? What's going on?! Are you okay, Sanji-kun?! Who's the idiot you're talking about?!"

"How is he going to answer if you're not giving him the chance to?" Guthrie questioned, slightly annoyed with Nami's constant questions.

"Actually, there are two idiots," Sanji corrected.

"Replenish the cannon balls!" a member of the Franky Family shouted.

"Got it!" shouted another.

"Aim at the front! Focus on one spot!" instructed another.

"Go! Focus pocus!" Chimney cheered.

"Do your best. The railway surfaces a little, but we can't go over Aqua Laguna," Kokoro said. "If we directly hit it, even Rocketman will be easily destroyed."

Chopper screamed at that last part. "Are we going to die?!"

Kokoro chuckled at his panic. "I told you to prepare yourselves, right?"

Both Chimney and Gonbe blinked at the old lady's words, slowly processing them in their heads. Once successfully processed, even they had their eyes bugged out like Chopper's. "What?! That includes us?!" the child gasped, with the pet meowing.

The three of them then went on a panic, as they ran around the compartment in fear.

"I see... Then Robin is still..." Nami spoke, hearing from Sanji what happened on his side of things, as the young trio continued to run around in fear.

"At any rate, it sounds lively over there," the kicking cook noticed.

"Say, Sanji-kun-"

"Ahhhhh!"

"I'll tell you the reason for Robin's actions-"

"Ahhhhh!"

"and our current situation, so..."

"Ahhhhh!"

Having enough of the screams and the running around, Nami turned to the young ones and shouted, "SHUT UP!" Instantly, Chopper froze, prompting Chimney and Gonbe, running behind him, to stop and be silent. With everything now silent, Nami faced the Den Den Mushi once more. "Listen, Sanji-kun. I'll tell you everything about the reason for Robin's actions and our current situation. So please listen carefully."

As she explained to Sanji the truth about Robin and what is going on with them now, Zoro, Xion, and Guthrie looked up at the ceiling. No, not the ceiling; the situation above them. From the sound of the cannon fires and the shouting, it didn't sound like things are doing good up there.

"Luffy," the green-headed swordsman called.

No words were needed for the Devil Fruit user to know what they were thinking. "Yeah. Let's go, guys," he said, with the trio following.

"Ah! Before I forget and die, you two, come on over here," Kokoro called to them, specifically Xion and Guthrie. The pair of Keyblade wielders walked over as she was shuffling through her pockets. "I want you to have somethin." She pulled a set of something from them, and held them out for the two to take. In one hand was a keychain, with a black chain link, ending with a dark red, flowery, sun-like medallion on the end. In the other were three pieces of paper. Three familiar pieces of paper.

"A Keyblade Keychain?!" Chirithy gasped, disappearing and reappearing on Guthrie's shoulder in seconds, causing the guy to nearly fumble and fall at the sudden off-balance in weight. "And those... are Dream Eater recipes?!"

"Where did you get those?!" Xion asked.

Kokoro was still smiling as she looked sadly at the pair. "They belonged to Tom, the same man who created Rocketman and the Puffing Toms. He always considered this chain as his lucky charm and these papers as motivations to build the sea trains... And these were two of his most prized treasures. He gave them to me after the Puffing Tom was created, though he didn't give a clear reason tell me why." The drunk placed the keychain in Guthrie's hands and the recipes in Xion's, both who were surprised at how she parted with them so easily. "But if I had to guess, he knew his life was coming to an end. So he wished for me to hold onto them until they could be properly used by someone who actually knows these things."

Guthrie looked at the keychain for a moment, then looked at Kokoro and asked, "Are you sure it's okay for us to have these? I mean, they all belonged to someone you knew well. Why not give it to Iceberg, or Chimney?"

Kokoro let out a short laugh at the question as she took some sips of her red wine. "Well, I thought of that at first, but Tom told me to give the keychain to 'the one whose key is full of Don'. I never understood what that meant... until I saw those Keyblades of the two of yous."

Guthrie, Xion and Chirithy looked at one another, surprised. So it seems like even Tom knew something about the Keyblade. But where did he learn something like that? And where did he obtain the keychain and the Dream Eater recipes? Could it be that...?

"Considering what I saw during the Aqua Laguna, and how you tackled the wave to protect your friends, I could see he was waiting for you to come along. That keychain has a name to it, too. He always called it his 'Great Gusto'!"

"Great Gusto..." Guthrie echoed, looking at the keychain. He took out his Keyblade, and swapped the keychains. The weapon shined, and transformed into a new Keyblade. The handle was red and gold, and the guard was green, with a gold exterior trimming and a red underbelly, wrapping around like a curved box, reminding Guthrie of the train cars on the Puffing Tom. The front of the hilt had a train light on it, glowing slightly. The shaft looked like a narrowed and elongated version of the Puffing Tom itself, green and gold, with the end shaped like the nose and golden front guard of the train. The teeth was the smokestack, with gray smoke curving about, going back to the shaft.

"Cool..." Guthrie muttered, seeing the Great Gusto Keyblade.

"But, what about the Dream Eater recipes?" Xion asked. "Are you sure I can take these, too?"

Kokoro gave another short laugh. "Believe it or not, he was hoping to give those to Franky." This surprised everyone in the compartment. "Ever since he found that boy, Tom saw how much he cared for the things he make. Said those things should best go to the one who has the biggest heart of them all. But, that guy rarely ever comes visit me these days. And when he does, I often forget about giving those to him."

"Hey, hey..." a few in the room spoke with a sweat drop.

"But... Meeting you guys, seeing how much you care for your crew, your friends, I think these things are better off with you. Besides, I don't even know any of these items that's listed on here."

Xion smiled at this. "Thank you, Kokoro-san. Although... Tom-san wasn't a Keyblade wielder, was he?"

"Nope, but I remember when he got that keychain," Kokoro recalled. "It was during the time when he was making the Oro Jackson, the ship he made for Gol D. Roger."

Now this bit of news stunned everyone listening in on the conversation. Did that mean the King of the Pirates, or one of his crew members, was the former possessor of the keychain? Did that mean someone on his crew was a Keyblade wielder? There was so many questions, but they had very little time to get an answer, as from the sound of the desperate shouts up above, Aqua Laguna was coming closer.

Chirithy suddenly realized where he was at, and pushed himself off of Guthrie's shoulder, turning away from him. He was still being ignorant and angry to his partner as he informed him, "By the way, you need to know that your medals don't transfer over to your new Keyblade. They are still locked in your other keychain, so you'd better transfer those over."

Guthrie looked down at his partner, surprised at this new info. He guessed he didn't need to know this until he gained a new Keyblade. However, the way Chirithy phrased it showed his irritated attitude towards him, so he simply answered, "Thanks.". As he followed Xion and the others out, he touched his Follow the Wind medallion, revealing the medals attached to it, and transferred them over to the Great Gusto Keyblade.

The vice captain glanced at the pair, and sighed in disgruntlement. She was tired of their quarreling, but this wasn't the time to speak of such thing at the moment.

* * *

The four pirates were finally out and on top of the sea train, facing the large wave ahead of them.

"Hey! Keep firing the front!" Zoro told the shipwrights and the dismantlers.

"What're you guys gonna do?!" Paulie asked. Despite the question, the firing didn't stop.

Luffy stood on his feet, cracking some bones in preparation. Xion produced her Keyblade and called out Terra. Guthrie had just finished swapping over his medals to his new Keyblade and stood ready. With Wado Ichimonji placed in his mouth, Zoro answered, "We'll fire a cannon."

"What's a hundred and eight times four? No... With Xion's Dream Eater, make that five," Luffy asked.

"Four hundred and thirty two with four. With five it's five hundred and forty," Guthrie answered.

"Four hundred and thirty two and five hundred and forty... Both of those are mouthfuls."

"Then pick whatever," Xion told her captain, as she formed a Link Style with her Cera Terror Dream Eater and Zoro drew out his other two swords.

"W-What are they doing?!" asked one of the tallest guys of the Franky Family.

"One is weaponless, one is using a sword, and the other two are just using those huge keys," another big guy pointed out. "Not only that, but one of those two called back her pet and is now glowing a weird aura."

"They told us to keep firing," another big guy reminded.

"Enough talking! Just back them up!" Zambai ordered.

"Okay. Then six hundred!" Luffy decided for his trio of crew mates, swinging his right arm.

"Aye," the three replied in confirmation.

" **Gomu Gomu no...** " Luffy began his gatling punch.

" **Six Hundred Pound...** " Zoro got into position for his long-range sword attack.

" **Ultima...** " Xion prepared her link's finisher move as her Keyblade enlarged itself to the massive.

" **Spark...** " Guthrie raised his Keyblade up and charged up three balls of electricity via Spark Blast. As the balls came together, he held the attack back and gathered more electricity to them.

"We're gonna crash!" the shipwrights and ship dismantlers cried out.

The pirates held their ground, waiting for the right moment to unleash their combo move. Once the wave and Rocketman got close enough, all four fired their prepared moves at one spot. " **Cannon!** " All four moves soared onwards to the wave and struck. One can easily tell how strong the attack was as a large, perfectly, circular-shaped hole had formed.

The large group behind the pirates gaped jaw-dropped at the sight before them, as Rocketman rushed on towards the hole. Once it rose up, those inside began tumbling down from the lack of balance, minus Kokoro and Allen, the former who remained seated and drank more of her wine, and the latter who was managing to keep his balance on the slanted train. After spending most of his life dancing, the Shandian had gained the perfect sense of balance.

"It's finally time," she spoke.

Back up above, Luffy, Zoro, Xion, and Guthrie did all they could to keep the hole as it was, and resumed to form a tunnel from within the wave for Rocketman to travel on through. The ride was shaky, and there were some close calls, especially with the turns and the rise and falls, but by some grand miracle, they made it out; they passed through Aqua Laguna!

"We... We got through! We got through Aqua Laguna!" they all shouted and cheered.

"I... I thought we were gonna die!" Zambai cried out, his fellow ship dismantlers cheering in joy while the shipwrights were simply awestruck by the pirates' power.

Luffy turned and gave them a fist pump and a peace sign, while Zoro and the Keyblade wielders sheathed his blade or called away their Keyblades, with Xion also undoing the link and returning Terra back in his card.

Back with the passengers, Chopper, Chirithy, Chimney and Gonbe fainted from their rolling spin that had occurred during the run-through. Nami regained her bearings from the ride, holding her head in slight pain as Sanji asked if she was okay through the Den Den Mushi she had dropped. Kiwi and Mozu regained themselves as well, getting themselves slammed to the back of the train, and luckily did not get themselves pierced through by the connection beams.

"All right! They did it!" Allen cheered.

"That was really something. They don't call themselves pirates for nothing," Kokoro stated, extremely impressed with the feat.

"If they were our enemy, they'd be fearsome, but if they're on our side, no one is more dependable than they are!" Kiev said.

"Straw Hat/Starlight Blade!" majority of the members cried out in cheer.

"Naturally, I was prepared to die. What incredible guys and gal..." Paulie commented.

"Don't let your guards down. We're not through the storm yet!" Kokoro called out to them.

"Yeah!" the ship dismantlers cheered.

"There's nothing to fear now!" one of them exclaimed.

With the wave over, the pirates went back to the passenger box, Luffy opening one of the windows to get in. "That was fun!" he said.

"Straw Hat, you're amazing- waina!" Kiwi complimented.

"That was beyond human power- waina!" Mozu followed.

Luffy, who stayed by the window, got kicked in by Zoro, who didn't know his captain was still there. "Oh sorry," he apologized, moving away for Xion to get through, who then moved away for Guthrie.

"Luffy! Come over here!" Nami called. Getting back to his feet, the pirate captain walked over to his orange-haired member. "It's Sanji-kun."

"Hey, is that you, Luffy?" Sanji asked.

"Oh, Sanji! How's it going over there? Where's Robin?" Luffy asked.

"Robin-chan is still in their custody. Nami-san just told her the reasons for her actions. Yeah... I heard everything."

"I see... Yeah, well... That's what's going on. Go ahead. Give them hell." Hearing that order from their captain shocked the crew.

"You shouldn't be reckless, Luffy!" Xion told him. "It's best if you tell him to wait until we catch up!"

"Oh, Xion-san! Hi! I was getting worried about what happened to you when I didn't hear your voice," Sanji said.

"Your worries are unnecessary..." the girl muttered. In a normal voice, she then said, "Sanji, look. As you know, there are dangerous guys on that sea train you're on. WHatever you do-"

"It's fine," Luffy interrupted. "Xion... Deep down, what would you do if it were you?" Xion raised a brow at the question. "After hearing that Robin lied and was taken to custody in order to save us, could you really just stay put?"

Xion looked down, her eyes wavering to show that she, in fact, wouldn't stay put, even if she was told to. And it wouldn't be because of her habit to help people.

"It's no use trying to stop him."

"You know me well," Sanji confirmed. "Xion-swan~! Are you worried about me~! Don't worry, I'll be back in your arms soon~"

"When has he ever been in her arms...?" Allen asked in a whisper, feeling quite annoyed with that statement.

"It's just his womanizer personality talking," Guthrie told him.

"But sorry. After hearing what Robin-chan was thinking, even if the captain orders it, I'm not gonna stop!" Next they knew, they heard something break and the line went dead.

"Did he just hung up on us?" Xion questioned.

"I don't think that's what it sounds like..." Chirithy said.

"I wonder if he'll be okay," Nami said in concern.

"Granny! Have the train go faster!" Luffy requested. "Like, more _woosh_!"

"Don't worry. It's already going faster than the limits of its speed. So fast that it can't stop by itself," Kokoro assured.


	16. Strike of the Swordsmen

**Happy New Year, everyone! Today, we push 2019 behind us, and look forward to 2020! And with the start of a new year is another story update from yours truly! Not much action, so to say, I know. But! You can't say that this is not a good chapter, still! I hope you all enjoy it and will be enjoying the lovely new year!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion and Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion and Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Usopp looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami and Ussop are replaced by Zoro and Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion and Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen and Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"Hey, monster granny!" Luffy called. "Is this the fastest it can go? It's not fast at all."_

 _"Well, just hold your horses. Once it gets on the railway, you'll see."_

 _"Ah! Straw Hat brother! Hi!" Chimney greeted, with Gonbe meowing._

 _"Straw Hat! Hurry and get Chimney and Gonbe inside!" Kokoro called. "Once we're on the railway, they'll be blown away!"_

 _Now realizing the danger the two are in, Luffy reached out to them. Unfortunately, it was at that point Rocketman successfully got on the rails and, as Kokoro had promised, rapidly accelerated._

 _'What the-?! This really is fast!' Xion thought. A familiar scream was heard, and she looked up to see Luffy, Chimney and Gonbe getting blown away._

 _Xion thought fast and raised a hand up. " **Collision Magnet!** " A force of sort appeared around her hand and shot some kind of light at the trio. The combined force then collided with Xion, who didn't think that far in the rescue, and got herself tumbling off the side of Rocketman. Next she knew, a hand grabbed her wrist, saving her, Luffy, Chimney and Gonbe from falling into the ocean, the latter three who latched onto the Keyblade wielder._

 _"You okay, Xion?!" Allen asked, managing to get the girl in time, with Guthrie holding on to the dancer._

 _"We're getting you guys inside!" the male wielder said._

* * *

 _"Just a second... There are weird guys in here," Zoro spoke, sitting down with arms crossed as he refers to the elephants in the room._

 _"What?! Who's that?!"_

 _"You guys!"_

 _"You too!"_

 _Somehow, someway, before any of them noticed at all, Paulie, Lulu, and Tilestone snuck onto the sea train without anybody knowing at all._

 _"So why are you guys here?" Allen asked, passing Luffy one of the leftover meat they have._

 _"I decided to go with you guys," Paulie said. "No matter how hard I tried to stop you, you didn't stop. The enemy you'd go this far to rescue your friend from is also the culprit who tried to kill Iceberg-san. In addition, there are lots of things I wanna say to them!"_

 _"What are you guys going on about?! Paulie! First, explain it to us! What's going on?!" Tilestone asked, for he and Lulu still have yet to know the culprits that framed the Straw Hats._

 _"He's right, Paulie," Lulu agreed with the big guy. "You know the true culprit, don't you? Just tell us. We're not that dense. We have a rough idea as to who it is. We're not gonna be surprised."_

 _The rope user sighed, as he himself knew it was a matter of time until the pair found out the truth. He couldn't keep it from them like he did to the others back on Water Seven. "Well, I guess you could guess if they suddenly disappeared for no reason. Then I'll tell it to you straight. The true identities of those masked men are... Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, and Blueno from the bar. It was them who tried to kill Iceberg-san."_

 _As he looked up to meet them in the eyes, instead of neutral expressions of any kind, both Tilestone and Lulu went pale in extreme surprise, jaw threatening to drop to the floor!_

 _Paulie was speechless at their expressions. "What?! You never even guessed that?!"_

 _"All right!" Luffy called, bringing all attention to him. "Well, then... Although we got into fights back in town with both the Franky Family and the Galley-La shipwrights, we're all going after the same enemy now. Besides the two in black coats, the strongest one among the guys we're gonna fight is the pigeon guy. He's mine; I'm definitely going to beat him up."_

 _"What about those two guys in black coats?" Paulie asked._

 _"Leave those two to me," Xion answered. "They're part of an organization I once worked with. The very same organization I ran away from for a reason. I may not remember why, but I definitely don't want to go back. And if beating them is the only way I can make them see that, then I have to."_

 _"Not alone. We're helping you out," Chirithy spoke._

 _"By 'we', you mostly mean 'me', don't you?" Guthrie asked, lightly glaring at his Dream Eater._

 _"Not true. I'm helping out, too," Allen spoke, causing everyone, mainly his fellow Straw Hats, to look at him in shock._

 _"Allen, you can't! We're talking about the organization that Xion worked with! Did you forget what happened back on-?!"_

 _"I haven't forgotten!" Allen interrupted Nami. "That's why I want to help! I'm not going to throw my life away, but I'm not going to lose those I care about to people like them! Not again. I'm not the same Shandian as I was back then. Besides, I made a promise. And I'm seeing to it until the end."_

 _"Grandma! Grandma! It's Aqua Laguna!" Chimney called out._

 _"Oh? It's already here?" Kokoro simply asked. "Do your best. The railway surfaces a little, but we can't go over Aqua Laguna. If we directly hit it, even Rocketman will be easily destroyed."_

 _Chopper screamed at that last part. "Are we going to die?!"_

 _Kokoro chuckled at his panic. "I told you to prepare yourselves, right?"_

 _Both Chimney and Gonbe blinked at the old lady's words, slowly processing them in their heads. Once successfully processed, even they had their eyes bugged out like Chopper's. "What?! That includes us?!" the child gasped, with the pet meowing._

 _"Ah! Before I forget and die, you two, come on over here," Kokoro called to them, specifically Xion and Guthrie. The pair of Keyblade wielders walked over as she was shuffling through her pockets. "I want you to have somethin." She pulled a set of something from them, and held them out for the two to take. In one hand was a keychain, with a black chain link, ending with a dark red, flowery, sun-like medallion on the end. In the other were three pieces of paper. Three familiar pieces of paper._

 _"A Keyblade Keychain?!" Chirithy gasped, disappearing and reappearing on Guthrie's shoulder in seconds, causing the guy to nearly fumble and fall at the sudden off-balance in weight. "And those... are Dream Eater recipes?!"_

 _"Where did you get those?!" Xion asked._

 _Kokoro was still smiling as she looked sadly at the pair. "They belonged to Tom, the same man who created Rocketman and the Puffing Toms. He always considered this chain as his lucky charm and these papers as motivations to build the sea trains... And these were two of his most prized treasures. He gave them to me after the Puffing Tom was created, though he didn't give a clear reason tell me why." The drunk placed the keychain in Guthrie's hands and the recipes in Xion's, both who were surprised at how she parted with them so easily. "But if I had to guess, he knew his life was coming to an end. So he wished for me to hold onto them until they could be properly used by someone who actually knows these things."_

* * *

 _"Hey! Keep firing the front!" Zoro told the shipwrights and the dismantlers._

 _"Okay. Then six hundred!" Luffy decided for his trio of crew mates, swinging his right arm._

 _"Aye," the three replied in confirmation._

 _" **Gomu Gomu no...** " Luffy began his gatling punch._

 _" **Six Hundred Pound...** " Zoro got into position for his long-range sword attack._

 _" **Ultima...** " Xion prepared her link's finisher move as her Keyblade enlarged itself to the massive._

 _" **Spark...** " Guthrie raised his Keyblade up and charged up three balls of electricity via Spark Blast. As the balls came together, he held the attack back and gathered more electricity to them._

 _The pirates held their ground, waiting for the right moment to unleash their combo move. Once the wave and Rocketman got close enough, all four fired their prepared moves at one spot. " **Cannon!** " All four moves soared onwards to the wave and struck. One can easily tell how strong the attack was as a large, perfectly, circular-shaped hole had formed._

 _The ride was shaky, and there were some close calls, especially with the turns and the rise and falls, but by some grand miracle, they made it out; they passed through Aqua Laguna!_

 _"We... We got through! We got through Aqua Laguna!" they all shouted and cheered._

* * *

 _"Luffy! Come over here!" Nami called. Getting back to his feet, the pirate captain walked over to his orange-haired member. "It's Sanji-kun."_

 _"Robin-chan is still in their custody. Nami-san just told her the reasons for her actions. Yeah... I heard everything."_

 _"I see... Yeah, well... That's what's going on. Go ahead. Give them hell." Hearing that order from their captain shocked the crew._

* * *

After the call with Sanji... well, let's just say that another crisis had occurred for the group on Rocketman. Specifically for a good majority of the guys, who had gone and witnessed the thing most men would not ever had witnessed.

"Okay! Now I'm ready for battle!" Nami exclaimed, wearing a different set of clothes.

Gone was her violet camisole with the number "3" imprinted on it in white, her white pleated mini-skirt and her usual sandals. Now, she had on a black high-heeled gladiator sandals, a brown blouse with cream-colored liners, which was also revealing her abdomen, a blue denim jacket over it, and a pale blue, pleated mini-skirt.

Tilestone, Lulu and Zambai were on their knees and holding their bleeding nose, looking away from Nami in embarrassment. Paulie was looking away from her the whole time, but his face was quite pink.

"Huh? What are you guys doing?" Nami asked the shipwrights.

"Don't 'what are you guys doing' us!" Paulie shouted at her. "How dare you openly change in front of everyone, you shameless girl?!"

"Nice shamelessness," the nose-bleeding trio stated with a thumbs-up, before all three got knocked out completely from blood loss.

"I can't help it. We only have one car," Nami reasoned.

"Hide your belly! Your belly and legs!" Paulie demanded. "You guys, too, Square Sisters! People like you corrupt society!"

"Shut up- waina, you shy man," Kiwi said, pointing at the rope-user.

"Shy man," Mozu repeated, doing the same.

Paulie was extremely embarrassed and angered at their claims, to the point where he breathed his cigar to ash in an instant.

"If you like, I'll change too," Kokoro teased.

Recovering almost instantly, the once-downed shipwrights immediately bowed to her and replied, "I'm sorry, but please don't! Seriously!"

"What rude guys. Although, you don't seem to mind Starlight Blade changing right now."

"Because unlike her crew mate, she's changing in the engine room!" Paulie reasoned. As he said, rather than changing in the very car they all were in like Nami had, Xion went to the engine room to change into the clothes Nami brought instead. _**(When did Nami even get those clothes and where was she hiding them? Her and the rest of the Straw Hats)**_

"Which brings us to question why Nami didn't go there to change, too," Guthrie pointed out, looking away from the navigator like Zoro and Allen were, the latter who was also covering his eyes with his palms.

"But it's so hot in there!" the navigator answered.

"Just for that reason?! Just tough it out then! Don't change in here with us guys!"

As it stands, Nami and Xion weren't the only ones with a wardrobe change; the boys did as well. Luffy just changed his usual short jeans for black shorts with more pockets in them, Chopper had on a red leather jacket, and Zoro swapped his usual shirt for an unzipped yellow jacket. While they had a slight change of clothes, Guthrie and Allen wore completely different outfits.

For Guthrie, he wore a green, open collar, buttoned-up long sleeve shirt with an open brown vest with silver-trimmed pockets over it, black pants with a brown belt hanging loosely from his right side, with a black satchel hanging on the left side, green and black boots, a vambrace on his left arm, and a black fingerless glove on his left hand. He also had one a new earring on his right ear, which has an amethyst embedded on it. As for Allen, he had on a grey, long sleeved, cotton-ripped shirt with thumb-holed cuffs and red multi-pocketed cargo pants. The back of his shirt had small sleeves for his wings, and, like Guthrie, he also wore fingerless gloves.

"Why do we have to change out of our clothes again?" Allen asked, not looking up from his hands.

"Apparently to show those CP9 bastards that we're not the same pirates as back then," Zoro answered. "And you can look now."

"I wish they made the pockets in these black shorts bigger," Luffy complained, as he tried to stuff in some meat in his pockets.

"Don't pack meat in your pockets!" Nami shouted.

The door leading to the engine room opened, revealing Xion in her new attire. "Sorry for the wait," she apologized. She now had on a white tank with a black and dark blue unzipped hoodie over it, white skirt, and black boots.

"Looking good, Xion-nee!" Chopper commented.

"Thanks, Chopper-kun," Xion thanked.

"You guys seem refreshed. You're full of enthusiasm," Kokoro stated.

"Of course! This is to rescue Robin! We'll beat them all up this time for sure!" Luffy claimed.

"You better! If you get stuck somewhere again, I'm not helping you!" Nami told him.

"'Get stuck somewhere'?" Xion repeated in a questioned tone.

"You don't want to know," Chirithy told her.

"It'll be fine! I got a reason to not lose this time!" Luffy told Nami.

It was then, Zoro noticed something else different about the navigator. "Nami, did you change your weapon?" he asked.

"Hm? No. After we came back from sky island, Usopp improved it and made it stronger using dials. It's the Perfect Clima Tact," she informed, holding up her upgraded weapon.

"Oh. So that thing is Usopp's..." Allen stopped there, quickly realizing what he was going to say and not wanting to complete it.

"Yes. This is Usopp's-..." Once the name was out and heard again, Nami and Luffy went into a depressed state, with the former crying. "Yes... This is his last work..."

"Don't go bumming people out!" Zoro shouted.

"I'm sorry!" Allen apologized.

* * *

Some time after the wardrobe change, Luffy went back on the rooftop right on Rocketman's head to be on lookout for Puffing Tom.

"Aren't we catching up to Bashing Tom yet?!" he questioned.

"It's 'Puffing'! Hey Luffy! Stay inside!" Nami scolded. "You just changed, but you're soaking wet again!"

"It's fine! I like this place!"

Knowing that there was nothing to change his mind, Nami went back in the car and closed the window. Meanwhile, in said car, everyone else was doing a replay of Luffy, Zoro, Xion and Guthrie breaking through Aqua Laguna. And really, it was getting quite annoying for some people.

"This is no time for playing!" Zoro shouted at them.

"We're bored," Lulu and Zambai answered.

"Then polish your weapons or something, you idiots!"

"Well, um... I tried to tell them that earlier but..." Paulie trailed off, for it was clear that he failed to stop the guys from doing what they were doing.

"Although, you should take this time to make those Dream Eaters, Xion," Chirithy told her. "The sooner you revive them before we arrive, the better."

"I did, though. While I was changing," the female Keyblade wielder answered.

"While you were changing?" Guthrie asked.

"Well it's already cramped up in here as is, and I didn't know how big the new Dream Eaters will be."

"She's not wrong," Allen supported.

"Hey, guys! I see a train up ahead of us!" Luffy informed.

Almost instantly, the shipwrights and ship dismantlers were armed with their weapons.

"It's gotta be Puffing Tom, right?!" they all claimed, rushing out to battle, with Zoro following.

"Isn't it too early?" Kokoro questioned, as they all got stuck on the window.

"They do realize there are other windows, right?" Allen asked with a sweat drop.

"Come on," Guthrie said to him and Xion, as the trio went out the other window. Chirithy also went along, as he climbed onto Allen's shoulder.

Once they were up, Guthrie looked through a telescope to see the train ahead of them. He let out a gasp at the sight before him. "Huh?! That can't be right," he said.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked, as the others finally made it up with them.

"It's only a pair of cars ahead of us! No engine room, or other cars with it! Not only that, it's just sitting motionless on the railway!" he informed.

"What?!" Xion gasped out.

Zambai looked through his goggle and saw it to be true. "He's right! It's just a dead car!"

"What's going on?!" Tilestone questioned.

"Does this mean they got detached?!" Lulu guessed.

"Ah! Sanji and Usopp may be on them!" Chopper pointed out.

"Franky-aniki too- waina!" Kiwi added.

"This isn't good! If we keep going like this, we'll collide with them!" Paulie added. "Granny! Where's the brake?!"

"I said it doesn't work, didn't I? Do something," Kokoro reminded, drinking some more wine.

"We're gonna crash!" Chimney cried out, with Gonbe meowing in fear.

Luffy took a step back, in which Chopper had noticed. "Luffy! What are you gonna do?" he asked.

Chirithy noticed how the guy was stretching his arms out as he moved back and caught on to his plan. "Hang on... Are you thinking of...?"

"I'll go check inside! **Gomu Gomu no Rocket!** " And just like that, the rubberman of a pirate slingshotted himself to the discarded cars.

"He's not going to miss, right?" Allen asked in worry.

"He'll be fine," Xion waved off.

"He's closing in," Guthrie added, watching from the telescope, as their captain struck the cars. "He made it." Seconds later, he noticed the cars were shaking quite strangely, with Luffy coming out and standing on the rooftop. "Oh! He's out!" He flinched as he saw the guy get shot at, as the bullets bounce off him. "They're not in, and he's getting shot at! Man, that's going to take some time to get used to..." He muttered the last part to himself.

"Meaning everyone in there is government personnel," Xion said in understanding.

"Then what do we do?" Kokoro asked, drinking more of her wine.

"In any case, unless we move those cars out of the way, we'll crash!" Paulie pointed out.

"It's the Franky Family's turn to work now," Zambai said. "We'll demolish them right before we collide!"

"All right! We'll give you guys a hand, too!" Tilestone shouted.

"Guys! It's time to work!"

"Yeah!" the Franky Family cheered.

Just as they were heading for the dismantlers place, behind Rocketman, Luffy was calling out for Zoro. "Hey! Zoro! Cut it! It's in the way!"

The non-pirates looked at Zoro, simply waiting for his negative response to the ridiculous request. After all, no one could just cut a car in half.

"Sure," the green-head swordsman replied.

"'Sure'?!" they repeated with a slight anime fall.

While they were dumbfounded with the response, Zoro walked to Rocketman's head to get in position.

"Need help?" Guthrie asked.

"I got it," he declined. Once in place, Zoro blocked everything out. Every sound, every feeling, everything.

' _The ego of the entropic world... can be slashed into pieces,_ ' he thought, crouching down and positioning his sheathed swords.

" **Nitouryu Iai:...** " he spoke. Next everyone knew, Zoro drew his sword and quickly sheathed them, sending an air slash at the pair of cars... and cut it cleanly in half. " **Rashomon.** "

Everyone, excluding the pirates minus Chopper and Chirithy, gasped in great shock at the scene they had all witnessed. Somehow, some way, this pirate successfully cut up the cats in half before Rocketman collided with it! Such a thing should not be humanly possible, and yet! Zoro went and did the impossible!

Before both halves of Puffing Tom's cars could hit the sea, Luffy jumped back on Rocketman, as it continued on its way.

"Hey, you guys! If you were going to do something like that, you could've at least told us!" Lulu reasoned with Luffy.

"You heard me saying 'cut them', right?!" Luffy argued.

"Who would think he could?!" Chirithy retorted, joining on the argument.

"We would've collided with them if we didn't cut them, right?!"

"Well, that's true, but we needed to be prepared too," Lulu tried to reason still.

As the pair were arguing, Zambai, the twins, and Tilestone just stared at Zoro in shock.

"A monster like that isn't even the vice captain of this group?" Zambai questioned.

"He's something else- waina," Kiwi stated.

"Anyway, you're amazing!"

Immediately after that, like before, Zambai, Tilestone and Lulu started to role play that one scene, only to then argue about who would play the role of the cars. Sighing at the scene before her, Xion was about to return back in the car, only to sense something ahead of them and looked up, but saw nothing in the open sea. Not only that, Zoro still stood on Rocketman's head.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" she asked.

"Hey, guys!" Zoro called to the group. "We're not done yet."

At that, those still out took a few steps forward to get a good look of what Zoro was seeing and saw something in the sea.

"What the hell is that?!" Zambai asked.

"It's a Sea King!" Tilestone identified.

As Rocketman passed it, though, they realized that the 'Sea King' was cut in half by someone, and it was not Zoro.

"That cut doesn't look fresh," Guthrie noticed as they passed. While everyone was on guard with the cut, Luffy was the only one excited to see a possible meal for them.

"A huge monster like this was..." Lulu trailed off in shock.

"Sashimi!"

"It's been split in half!" Chopper cried out.

"Grilled fish!"

"This is not the time to think about food!" Xion shouted at Luffy.

"But man... That Sea King was so huge, it could swallow Rocketman whole!" Chirithy exclaimed. "Just who or what did this?!"

Suddenly, Zambai, who was peering through his goggle lens, let out a gasp, grabbing everyone's attention. "Huh? What the...?! There's a guy out there!" He then took a step back in shock. "It's the Ship-Cutter!" The members of Galley-La and Franky Family all vocalized their worry at this bit of news.

"Ship-Cutter?" Luffy questioned.

"He's a captain from the Marine Headquarters, Ship-Cutter T-Bone!" Zambai explained. "His slices up pirate ships like a knife cuts through a steak!"

"Whoa! That pretty cool!" Luffy stated.

"Are you seriously admiring something like that?!" Xion questioned. Turning to Zambai, she then asked, "And why did you have to make that description so appetizing, for that matter?!"

"Doesn't matter! I don't wanna die," Zambai stated. "Alright, men! We only got one shot at this! Prepare the cannon! Hurry!" The Franky Family roared in response, and readied themselves to fight against the admiral from afar.

"Hold on!" Luffy stopped their preparations.

"What's the deal?! If we don't hurry, he'll cut Rocket Man in half!" Zambai exclaimed.

"Were you all sleeping just a minute ago? Just leave it to Zoro."

"Actually, I would like to handle that guy," Guthrie intervened, walking forward. "Leave it to me. I got this!"

"You serious?" Allen asked, surprised that he would volunteer for fighting a supposedly strong swordsman.

Guthrie didn't respond, as he just came to Zoro's side. The two looked to one another, then ahead, where they could see the figure starting to appear off in the distance.

"He does feel pretty strong. You sure you got this?" Zoro asked.

"Nothing and nobody is gonna get in the way to my path to Robin," Guthrie answered, his glare turned straight ahead. "I will win this fight, and we will keep going forward!"

Zoro said nothing at first, then smirked as he turned and left Guthrie's side, knowing he had this in the bag. Everyone saw the scene, and wondered if Zoro trusted the Keyblade Guardian enough to beat T-Bone. They were just gonna have to see this battle for themselves.

Guthrie stood in front of the train light and shouted out to the Navy swordsman, "If you don't want to be defeated shamefully, then get out of our way!"

T-Bone, who stood off in the distance, must've realized that the Straw-Hat Pirates were on the sea train, but didn't recognize Guthrie. However, he guessed he was responsible to what happened to his fellow men in the train cart before.

He drew his sword and shouted, "I am a proud captain of the Navy! I shall not let you pass! Be it wood or steel, I'll slash your ship in two!"

"If that's how you wanna play it..." Guthrie growled, summoning his Keyblade. "Just to let you know, I am not gonna let anyone or anything get in my way! Not my doubts, not any enemy in my path, and certainly not you! Now let's see who's resolve is stronger!"

"Come!" T-Bone shouted, ready to strike. Both had their blades at the ready, their duel about to commence. The Marine Captain then dashed forward. "I hate crooked swordplay! **Right Angle Flying Bird...** "

In response to his charge, Guthrie launched himself forward with his Keyblade out in front of him. " **Sonic...** "

" **...Bone Pheonix!** " T-Bone unleashed a slash that sent a beam of energy with the face of a bird, bouncing along the air and taking sharp angles as it came at it's target.

" **Blade!** " Guthrie then made his own thrusting dashes in the air, matching with the beam as he did so. They seem to dance about each other, with every contact being Guthrie destroying the beam as he got closer to T-Bone.

The Navy captain made a slash at him, sending a point-blank slashing beam. Guthrie came out of his Sonic Blade as did a spinning slash, destroying the sword beam before it got him.

' _He saw through it!_ ' T-Bone mentally gasped, looking down at the pirate, who glared fiercely back up at him.

"And now..." The Keyblade wielder thrusted his Keyblade forward, aiming closely at the captain's chest. " **Spark Blast!** " From a distance, everyone saw a blast of electricity that stormed across the ocean ahead and above them. When it died down, the Galley-La and Franky Family members, and even Chirithy, were shocked and amazed as they saw T-Bone's electric-charred body, his gaping mouth, and his blank eyes as the guy flew past them, falling into the ocean behind them. Guthrie would've landed in the water, had Xion not reacted fast enough to bring him back on Rocketman via Collision Magnet.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the non-pirates cheered for the Keyblade wielder's victory against the Ship-Cutter. Guthrie sighed from the energy he used in that fight, then smiled at his win, as well. "Gotta say, that was pretty awesome." That statement earned him a hit to the head by the vice-captain, in which he rubbed in pain. "Ouch! What was that for?!"

"That was for being incredibly reckless! What were you thinking?! Taking on a guy like that in this storm!" she scolded.

"I didn't think; I just acted." Guthrie looked to his shoulder guard and found something strange.

This didn't go unnoticed by a few people.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked, joining the Keyblade Wielders with Chirithy still on his shoulder.

"Well, it's just... Even though I defeated that T-Bone guy, no darkness was seeping from him for me to absorb to turn into a medal," Guthrie answered.

"Huh?! But that guy's a navy!" Chirithy exclaimed.

"True as it may be, not everyone in the navy is corrupted. I should know; I know some people there whose heart are in the right. And if he was the one who cut up that Sea King back there, I'd say it's more to protect his men than anything else. Just because we all have light in our hearts, just because we're in the same group, doesn't mean we're all on the same side."

While Allen simply nodded in understanding, Guthrie and Chirithy both stared at Xion and her strangely wise words. They never thought they would ever hear her say anything like it, especially not in the tone she used. If anything, it sounded like she was speaking from experience.

Noticing their stares, Xion asked, "What?"

"Well, I just never thought you'd say anything so wise," Guthrie said.

A bit ticked with the response, she questioned, "Hey. What is that suppose to mean?"

Before things could get ugly, Allen intervened between them. "It's nothing! He meant nothing with what he said."

Thankfully, Xion had decided to let the matter slide, as she headed back into the car. Before she slid in through the window, though, she sensed something from up ahead again and looked. Like before though, there was nothing to be seen in the open water.

"Something wrong?" Allen asked.

"... Not really," she answered.

' _I must be imagining things,_ ' she thought.

* * *

Once they were inside, the group relayed the information to Nami, who remained inside the whole time. Once she got the whole story, she came up with the accurate conclusion that Sanji detached the cars from the Puffing Tom, which would mean they were on the right track and were nearing their target. That being said, the group continued on with their own activity, as they waited for Rocketman to arrive at their one destination. That is... until...

"TURN BAAAAAAACK!"

"... Oi. He said to turn back," Lulu informed everyone, as none of them, not even the Straw Hats, reacted to the shout.

"Is that right? What a relief," Tilestone replied, having some relaxing tea.

"Well, we'd better get ready to go home."

"Give us a second here. I'm still learning how to play this game you Blue Sea Dwellers play," Allen said, having a game of Poker with Chirithy, the Keyblade wielders and Nami, with Chopper, Chimney and Gonbe watching.

It took the very next second for them all to realize what Luffy, the guy who shouted those words, ordered out. "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"But why?! We've come so far!" Nami exclaimed.

"What about Robin?! And what are we going to do about Usopp?!" Chopper questioned. As he kept questioning about what they should do, Zoro woke up, oblivious to the situation at hand.

"What the hell's he thinking?!" Paulie questioned.

Taking it upon herself as vice captain, Xion opened the window and quickly climbed out and up to the roof. "Hey, Luffy! What's the big idea, telling us all to go back?! I thought you wanted to save Robin! Why are we going back now?!"

"Yeah, yeah! Tell us why- waina!" Kiwi and Mozu demanded.

"NOOOOOO!" Luffy shouted, now confusing the group. "THE FROG FROM BEFORE... JUST JUMPED... ONTO THE TRACKS!"

"It's Yokozuna!" Chimney gasped in realization.

"Him again?" Kokoro casually asked.

"What the hell's up with that giant frog?!" the Franky Family demanded, apparently familiar with the amphibian as well.

"Turn back! Out of the way, frog!" Luffy shouted.

' _ **COME!**_ ' Xion heard the frog challenge.

"We'll hit you!"


	17. Yokozuna Joins, Vs Raging Vulture

**We are back to another chapter of SCP: Tides of Bonds! And in here, will be the appearance of a certain Heartless with some of its 'minions', so to speak. Let us see how the Straw Hats and their allies are able to handle them, especially the big guy. So, that being said, let us begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Kingdom Hearts. I do not own Guthrie and I kind of own Allen.**

* * *

 ** _*OPENING*_**

 ** _(Lala intro)  
_** _(Xion and Guthrie come down sliding panels one at a time, followed by Nami next to Xion and Ussop next to Guthrie. Nami shows the Log Pose to Xion, telling her where to go, while Usopp looks pompous while Guthrie shrugs his demeanor. Nami and Ussop are replaced by Zoro and Sanji respectively, and glare daggers at one another as Xion and Guthrie push them away from another. The two are replaced by Chopper and Robin respectively. Chopper dives into Xion's arms as she does a spin hug with him, while Guthrie observes the book Robin is reading with interest. The two are replaced by Allen and Chirithy, with Allen patting Xion's back, grinning at her as she blushes a bit, while Chirithy stands on a barrel, both he and Guthrie causing sparks to shoot at each other from their eyes. The two disappear, and Luffy appears between Xion and Guthrie, grabbing their shoulders and pulling them in as he grins. The two look at one another, and grin, as the background scene shifts to them being on the Going Merry, with the rest of the crew behind them.)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye to repetition  
We cannot be stop  
Time to go around to our  
_** _ **Happy days, happy days  
**_ _(The scene shifts to the sky, with the title of the story appearing)_

 ** _Hello, goodbye, it cannot be stopped  
_** _ **Because there is desire  
**_ _(Scene shifts to the Straw Hats on the ship, with Luffy Ussop fishing, Nami looking at the Log Pose, Zoro sleeping on the crow's nest, Xion helping Chopper with medicine while Chirithy watched, Robin reading her book, Allen practicing his dancing, and Sanji cooking with help from Guthrie.)_

 ** _It's a journey that does not end  
_** _ **Keeps going, going!  
**_ _(Xion steps back, wiping her forehead, then looking ahead to the endless sea beyond, wondering what lies ahead.)_

 _ **You, are  
Being shaken by your ragged feet  
**_ _(Panning through a screenshot of Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe and Yokozuna, to the Galley-La crew, to the members of the Franky Family, with Franky in front of them, to the masked members of CP9.)_

 _ **Still, still  
No one has much of anything!  
**_ _(Nico Robin turns and walks away to the tower in Eniss Lobby, with Jabra, Kumadori and Fukuro silhouetted above, followed by Spandam, then Xaldin and Saïx. This shifts to the angered faces of Guthrie, Luffy and Xion.)_

 _ **I feel like I can fly  
I can fly anywhere  
Whenever I'm with you  
**_ _(The trio run through the town of Eniss Lobby, striking numerous marines in their way, while the screen circles around the trio, ending with them standing in the middle of their Straw Hat crew (and Sniper King) on top of the building, facing Robin, Franky and CP9.)_

 _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I am  
**_ _ **Shivering everywhere  
**_ _(The two Keyblade wielders thrust their Keyblades up at the villains, only to be interfered by the two Organization XIII members. They leap towards them, with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats following in pursuit. CP9, led by Saïx, Xaldin Leopard Lucci, leap at them, ready to clash.)_

 ** _Together when I am with you  
_** _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Through all the battles of the Straw Hats, Second Gear Luffy starts fighting Leopard Lucci, with Xion fighting Saïx as hard as she could.)_

 _ **No matter what happens  
**_ _ **I'm moving forward  
**_ _(Guthrie fights and parries off Xaldin, calling out to Robin with a free hand raised to her, as she stands there in the pitch black darkness.)_

 _ **Together when I am with you  
**_ _ **If you clench strongly  
**_ _(Robin looks back at him, then closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of Ohara. A tear falls from her eyes, hitting a ground, which turns the darkness into the open sea and sky. More teardrops fall, forming white birds that represent each Straw Hat as they soar in the sky together.)_

 _ **No, no  
**_ _ **No matter where we are  
**_ _ **I feel like I can fly  
**_ _(The birds fly over the Going Merry, as it sails into the sun, with silhouettes of the Straw Hats smiling and grouped together as they prepared for their adventure.)_

* * *

 _Last time:_

 _"TURN BAAAAAAACK!"_

 _"... Oi. He said to turn back," Lulu informed everyone, as none of them, not even the Straw Hats, reacted to the shout._

 _"Is that right? What a relief," Tilestone replied, having some relaxing tea._

 _"Well, we'd better get ready to go home."_

 _"Give us a second here. I'm still learning how to play this game you Blue Sea Dwellers play," Allen said, having a game of Poker with Chirithy, the Keyblade wielders and Nami, with Chopper, Chimney and Gonbe watching._

 _It took the very next second for them all to realize what Luffy, the guy who shouted those words, ordered out. "WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"_

 _"But why?! We've come so far!" Nami exclaimed._

 _"What about Robin?! And what are we going to do about Usopp?!" Chopper questioned. As he kept questioning about what they should do, Zoro woke up, oblivious to the situation at hand._

 _"What the hell's he thinking?!" Paulie questioned._

 _Taking it upon herself as vice captain, Xion opened the window and quickly climbed out and up to the roof. "Hey, Luffy! What's the big idea, telling us all to go back?! I thought you wanted to save Robin! Why are we going back now?!"_

 _"Yeah, yeah! Tell us why- waina!" Kiwi and Mozu demanded._

 _"NOOOOOO!" Luffy shouted, now confusing the group. "THE FROG FROM BEFORE... JUST JUMPED... ONTO THE TRACKS!"_

 _"It's Yokozuna!" Chimney gasped in realization._

 _"Him again?" Kokoro casually asked._

 _"What the hell's up with that giant frog?!" the Franky Family demanded, apparently familiar with the amphibian as well._

 _"Turn back! Out of the way, frog!" Luffy shouted._

 _' **COME!** ' Xion heard the frog challenge._

 _"We'll hit you!"_

* * *

Somehow... someway... Rocketman clearly hit the sumo frog, but with whatever strength he had, the frog went and derailed the train off the tracks, and got on Rocketman's head. As such...

"FROG! Enough with the ribbits, you punk! Your stupid slap derailed us!" Luffy shouted, slapping the overgrown amphibian on the snout. "We were about to catch up to Sanji and the others! What gives?!"

' _ **LIKE I CARE!**_ ' the frog loudly croaked, loud enough to blow Luffy's hair back and make his ears ring.

"Why, you little... I'll eat you! Come here!" Luffy shouted, as he got in a rumble with Yokozuna.

Back in the cart, everyone felt the force of the rumble going on up there.

"What the heck is going on out there?!" Paulie asked.

"That damn, overgrown frog, that's what," Xion answered, as she was helped back into the cart by Allen and Guthrie. Thankfully, when Yokozuna knocked the train off the tracks, and her off Rocketman, she called her Keyblade out in time and jabbed it to the side of the passenger cart, right by the window.

"You okay, Xion?" Allen asked her.

"Yeah. How's everyone else?"

One look at the back, though, and Xion felt the need to take back her question.

"W-We're fine... I think..." Kiwi answered.

"My... My back..." Lulu groaned, crushed between Tilestone and the wall.

Chopper, due to his small size, was getting crushed by the big shipwright.

"What a disaster! The King Bulls are gone!" Zambai announced, looking at the back from the window.

"What?! They're gone- waina?!" the female twins gasped.

"No. We're the ones who are gone," Paulie corrected.

"He's right. We got derailed off the tracks," Xion explained.

"That's even worse- waina!"

"What are we going to do?!" Chopper questioned.

"All we can do right now is get back on track somehow," Xion answered, taking out some Dream Eater cards. " **Summo-** " She stopped herself when she sensed something odd. She looked out the window and took a look around, only to see nothing out in the open sea.

"Is something wrong, Xion?" Chirithy asked.

"I... I don't know. Maybe," she answered. "In any case, **Summon: Ryu Dragon, Komory Bat, Fin Fatale, Tatsu Steed, Peepsta Hoo!** " Five of Xion's many Dream Eaters were summoned out.

"A dragon?!" The non-pirates gasped upon the sight of Wyvern.

"Find the rest of the Franky Family and a set of train tracks," Xion ordered her Dream Eaters. At her command, they all scattered about. "Okay... Now to deal with that frog."

"You need any help?" Allen asked.

"Luffy's technically handling him, but that amphibian is anything but normal. The rest of you stay here. Zoro, you're-" Xion cut herself off when she noticed one thing about the green-haired swordsman. One thing she could not believe. Everyone else looked the same direction she was and had the exact same expression on their faces.

"Hang on... You're serious?" Guthrie asked, for Zoro... was sleeping.

"A... A miracle..." they all spoke in shock.

"How the hell can he be asleep at a time like this?!" Chirithy demanded.

Not bothering to even wake the damn swordsman up, Xion turned to Guthrie and said, "Guthrie, you're in charge here." Without another word, the vice captain climbed out and rejoined her captain up on the train's roof to meet the troublemaker who was delaying their mission.

"Luffy! You need any help?!" she asked.

"Ah, Xion! Prepare a some big fire! We're cooking this frog!" Luffy ordered.

"Not sure if that's a good idea in this storm, especially in a train!" she rejected.

"Hey, Yokozuna! Get your butt over here!" came Kokoro's voice.

At her voice, the big frog ceased his fight with Luffy and looked to the engine room, where the old lady was steering the train.

' _ **Ko-...! KOKORO!**_ ' the frog croaked, taking a big leap over Luffy and landing right in front of Xion. The impact from his heavy landing caused the girl to slip and grab on to the rail. ' _ **I'm glad you're safe!**_ '

"What do you mean 'I'm glad you're safe'?" Kokoro asked, much to Xion's surprise that she understood the amphibian. "Good grief. I'm not the one who was kidnapped. Don't jump to conclusions. Now help that girl up, before she drops into the ocean."

' _ **Huh?**_ ' Yokozuna turned to Xion and reluctantly held out a hand to her. ' _ **Sorry, I guess...**_ '

Though she was unsure about trusting the frog after what he did, intentionally or not, she accepted the assistance. "Thanks."

Kokoro opened the door to the engine room and stared at her acquaintance face-to-face. "What in the world have you been doing to yourself!? You're covered in scars," she stated to him. "Jeez... Ever since the incident eight years ago, you've tried time and time again to take down the Sea Train. Why? So you can become stronger, right? So that you'd never lose those who were important to you again. So you could protect them."

' _ **... Yeah...**_ ' Xion heard him admit.

"Now's the time to show that strength!"

Yokozuna's eyes widened slightly in confusion. ' ** _Huh?_** '

"Your dear friend Franky was taken away, just like Tom-san! We're on our way to him at this very moment! Will you come with us?"

Hearing that his friend was in danger was more than enough motivation for Yokozuna to join them. ' ** _OF COURSE I WILL!_** ' he croaked.

"Straw Hat! We've got a new friend!" Kokoro informed.

"Yeah! I got it!" Luffy answered with a small laugh. "Nice going, Monster Granny! Or is it Frog Granny? Which one are you?"

"Who knows? Call me whatever you want," Kokoro answered, walking back into the engine room.

As she walked back in, the feeling Xion had been feeling during the ride suddenly grew strong, as she turned to the source. "Okay, I know for sure I'm not imagining it anymore!" she shouted out loud.

"Hm? What's wrong, Xion?" Luffy asked.

"Something's coming this way!" At her words, everyone in the cart looked at the direction she was looking.

Guthrie brought the telescope to his eye and couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Are you kidding me?!" he gasped out.

"What's wrong, Guthrie?" Allen asked. Rather than answering, Guthrie passed the scope to his dancing friend, who looked through it and also couldn't believe what was flying their way.

It was a big bird made of wood and mechanics, one that looked quite like a vulture. The wings had cannons embedded in them as joints, and a trio of anchors dangling on its neck, and wing joints. Around it were small, flying bird-like mechanics.

"Is that a bird?" Zambai asked, unfamiliar with the thing flying towards them.

Chirithy took the telescope from Allen's hand and let out a shriek when he got a good close-up view of what was coming their way. "That's no bird! It's a Raging Vulture Heartless with a swarm of Vaporfly!"

While the shipwrights and dismantlers didn't know what a Heartless were, the pirates did.

"Did he say 'Heartless'?!" Nami gasped.

"Damn it! At a time like this?!" Guthrie growled.

"Hang on, what are those things?" Paulie asked.

"Let's just say those guys are monsters that are huge pains in the necks! But why is one of those things here?!"

"Best guess is those CP9 guys. They must've summoned it or something in case if we save Robin!"

As if to prove his point, the Raging Vulture shot out a pair of blasts from its cannons at Rocketman and just missed the speedy Sea Train. However, the impact from the attack hitting the waves was enough to rock the derailed vehicle around some, with the passengers falling to the floor. Xion and Luffy were the pair unfortunate enough to fall off the roof again. Thankfully, Yokozuna managed to grab Xion, who was grabbed by Luffy's stretchy arm, and thus saved the pair of pirates.

"Thanks for the save!" Xion thanked.

' _ **No problem!**_ ' the frog answered.

"What the hell is his problem?!" Luffy questioned, as Yokozuna pulled him and Xion back on the train.

"This isn't good. Even if Rocketman is a crazy fast train, if he gets hit directly by any more of those, we'll sink!" Kokoro warned.

"Huh?! Then we won't get to Robin!"

"Forget about getting to Robin; we won't live if those blasts destroy the train!" Nami added.

"Then we'll have to take the Heartless out before it does us!" Xion exclaimed.

"How do you suggest we do that?!" Paulie asked. "We can't walk on air!"

"No. But I still have a Dream Eater who can fly me there." As Xion said this, she took out another Dream Eater card. " **Summon: Pegaslick!** " Out of its card was Pegasus, whose appearance astonished the shipwrights and dismantlers.

"A pegasus?!" they gasped.

Xion got on its back. "You guys protect the train! Leave the big guy to me! Go, Pegasus!" At her order, the Pegaslick flew towards the Raging Vulture.

As she left, Lulu turned to the rest of the Straw Hats. "That girl will be okay, right?" he asked.

"Of course she will!" Zambai answered for them. "She's Starlight Blade Xion! She bested us Franky Family with little assistance! That bird's got nothing on her!"

"Yeah, if it's alone, maybe! Look!" Chirithy retorted.

The group looked back at Xion and Pegaslick and saw that they were suddenly getting attacked by some of the Vaporfly Heartless. The swarm were blasting them with what seemed like energy bullets or torpedoes, causing the female Keyblade wielder and her Dream Eater to aerial dodge them, as well as forcing the pair away from their target, who was steadily flying closer to Rocketman.

"Xion-nee can't do this by herself! She needs help!" Chopper exclaimed.

"I can use the Milky Dial and skate over there, but the clouds won't even last a second in this sea. And even then, I don't have my skates," Allen said.

Chirithy turned to Yokozuna. "Can't you hop up there?!" he asked.

' ** _My jump can't reach that!_** ' the frog reasoned.

"He said his jump can't reach that high!" Chopper translated.

A Vaporfly flew by and launched a torpedo straight at Rocketman. Guthrie managed to react in time with a Spark Blast, destroying the torpedo. "We have to protect the train and trust her!" He then proceeded to climb out the cart to fight better.

Luffy stayed silent as he looked at the Raging Vulture. Or rather, the many Vaporflies around it, as the swarm of smaller Heartless flew closer to the Rocketman, with his friends doing their best to fight them off with long-range attacks. A smirk formed on his face. "I got an idea~" he said.

Nami heard those four words and turned to him. "What idea?" she asked. Luffy didn't answer, as he stretched out his arm to one of the Heartless. "Luffy?!"

With the group of fighters on top of the passenger cart, Paulie ceased his rope attacks for a brief moment when he saw a familiar stretchy limb shot out towards one of the Vaporfly and grabbed it. "Huh? Straw Hat?" He turned to the source and saw, to his surprise, the pirate shot himself towards the very Heartless he grabbed and got on it. The force from his launch caused the Vaporfly to spin wildly, until it managed to recover itself.

The one act alone brought the rest of the fighters' attention to him. "What the-?! Luffy! What are you doing?!" Guthrie asked.

"I'm going to help Xion! Good luck, guys!" Without another word, Luffy steered his Vaporfly over to the vice-captain.

Meanwhile, everyone else just stood dumbfounded by the alternative way of getting to the Heartless. "Well, that's another way of doing things," Zambai said.

' _You can say that again_ '

* * *

With Xion, the girl and Pegasus were avoiding as much of the Vaporflies' energy bullets as they could. With the amount of Heartless surrounding them, it was practically impossible. And it didn't help that those guys were quite speedy and coordinated, as well as having torpedoes to fire and could shoot themselves towards the pair. Xion could only hang on to Pegasus as the Dream Eater tried to fly away from the shots.

"Damn it! I'm not seeing any kind of opening here!" she exclaimed. Looking to the Raging Vulture, she gritted her teeth as she saw the boss Heartless attack Rocketman, which was being defended by the rest of the Straw Hats on board and the shipwrights/dismantlers. "We have to get past these guys somehow..."

"XIIIIOOOOOOOOOOON!" came a shout.

Xion turned and was quite baffled to see a certain idiot on a Heartless, making his way towards her.

"Luffy?!" she gasped.

"You damn bastards! Leave Xion alone!" Once Luffy was close enough, he leapt off the Vaporfly he was riding. " **Gomu Gomu no Gattling!** " The guy then unleashed a barrage of punches at the swarm of small Heartless, easily obliterating them all.

Xion widened her eyes at how easily the Heartless were taken down. "Those things were actually that weak?! Even though their attacks are actually that strong!" Before she could process the thought even further, Luffy grabbed onto the girl by the shirt and shot himself to her and Pegasus, landing on the latter's back behind the former.

"Okay! I took down the ones that were after you, Xion! Now let's go beat up that big bird!" he ordered.

"Aye-aye, captain!" the vice captain obliged, steering Pegasus over to the Raging Vulture and its remaining Vaporflies. "Full speed ahead, Pegasus!"

With a neigh, the Pegaslick picked up the speed and flew over to the Heartless. However, as they closed in on the Raging Vulture, more Vaporflies were summoned and shot themselves towards the pair. Xion reacted fast enough to steer her Pegaslick in a barrel roll, avoiding the newly summoned Heartless.

"Whoa?! What the heck?!" Luffy gasped, as the flying mount righted itself.

"Guess that big Heartless is summoning the small ones," Xion said. "Purposely or not, I don't know. But if we take it out first, the rest should follow after."

"All right! Then take us to it, Xion, horse!" At his order, Xion gave her Pegaslick a nudge, prompting it to soar on to the Raging Vulture once more.

More Vaporflies were summoned upon its approach, and like before, Xion made her Dream Eater barrel roll away from them, successfully avoiding the Heartless once more. Once they were successfully close enough, Luffy grabbed Xion around the waist and stretched his other arm at one of the spikes on the Heartless's back. He yanked themselves off Pegasus and onto the Heartless.

"Pegasus! Get those smaller Heartless off our tails!" Xion ordered.

Upon her command, the Pegaslick brought his focus on the Vaporflies.

"Let's go, Xion!" Luffy ordered, tossing her to the next spike in front of them.

Xion grabbed onto the spike. Once she got a good hold on the thing, she grabbed Luffy's arm and tossed the rubberman to the spike in front of her. One he got a good grip on that spike, Luffy tossed Xion to the final spike in front of him. Just as she grabbed hold of it, as if sensing the pirate just within reach of attacking it, the Heartless turned its head completely 180 and screeched at her face.

The screech was loud enough to make Xion and Luffy's ears hurt, but not enough to force either to release their grip. Once the screech was over, the vice captain made her move. "Go, Luffy!" She tossed her captain to the head, he who was more than prepared to deal the pain.

" **Gomu Gomu no Stamp Gatling!** " Luffy unleashed a barrage of kicks at the Heartless, knocking its head around some. The Raging Vulture reared its head back, avoiding the remaining kicks.

Xion had a bad feeling on the way it moved its head back and pulled Luffy back in. The pirate captain was taken aback by the sudden action, as he hung on to the spike. "What was that for, Xion?!" he asked.

"Shut up! **Reflect!** " Xion brought her hand up and called upon a barrier, as the Raging Vulture breathed out flames from its mouth at its enemies. Thankfully for the pirates, they were left unharmed by the fire.

"Whoa! That bird breathes fire?!" Luffy asked the second the flames and barrier were over.

"Save that awe for later because you're back in!" Xion told him, as she tossed the Devil Fruit user to the Raging Vulture's head once more.

"Wah! **Gomu Gomu no Yari!** " Planting his feet together, Luffy kicked them both together straight at the Heartless. The strike was strong enough to knock its head turning, with Luffy still flying past it. Xion pulled her captain back in again. As she did that, Luffy made use of the momentum to continue the assault. "And... **Gomu Gomu no Kama!** " Stretching out his free arm, he clotheslined the Raging Vulture's head, making a dent on its beak and forcing it to stop spinning.

It seemed the mechanical bird Heartless clearly didn't like the pair of attacks, the last one especially, as it breathed out more flames at the pirates. Flames in which Xion managed to block with her Reflect spell again. When the fire died down, rather than having her captain go at it again, Xion jumped at the Heartless herself this time and gave the mechanical Heartless a barrage of smacks to the head with Fire of Shandora. After landing some strikes in, like before, Xion saw the Heartless prepare for another dose of its fiery breath and conjured up her barrier.

"All right! If we keep this up-!" Luffy was cut off when the Heartless ceased its attack and looked ahead, performing a strong barrel roll and forcing the pirates off and making them free fall.

"Whoa! We're falling!" Luffy shouted.

Xion looked for Pegasus and saw that the Dream Eater was, unfortunately, quite far from them. And as much as she wanted to use Collision Magnet to bring herself and Luffy back on the big Heartless, the latter was has gone quite far from them for the spell to reach. As for the Vaporflies, though, Xion thought back to when Luffy flew on one and prepared to use her magic to bring herself to one, when her captain beat her to it.

" **Gomu Gomu no Amidori!** " The pirate captain stretched his arm out to one of the Vaporflies near them. Once he got a hold of it, he pulled it close to them and got on. "And **Gomu Gomu no...** " He pulled his arm back... the very arm that held Xion in it, to the girl's fear.

"Huh? Wait! What are you-?!"

" **Lasso!** " Next Xion knew, her captain tossed her to another Vaporfly near them, to her fright. It may be to use it as a ride like he did, but to be tossed so suddenly like so, no normal person would be calm enough to follow that up. Instead, she struck the Heartless head-first, and as it was one of the several Vaporflies that was weakened by battling Pegasus, it got knocked out.

"What are you doing, Xion?!" Luffy asked. "You're suppose to grab on! All right, then next one!"

Snapped out of her slightly dazed state, the vice captain looked to his way in shock. "Hang on! What do you mean-?!"

" **Gomu Gomu no Lasso!** " Not giving her the time to think or recover, Luffy tossed her to another Vaporfly once more. Like before, she got hit by the Heartless in a headbutt. Unlike before, the Heartless didn't disappear, as it instead shot back with bullets. As she was dazed from the sudden, unplanned attack, there was nothing Xion could do to block. Thankfully, Luffy pulled her back in... only to repeat the process on the poor girl. " **Gomu Gomu no Lasso!** "

As the boy tried to get his vice captain on one of the small Heartless, his comrades on Rocketman heard the constant scream from the unfortunate girl and looked up to see Xion be used as some kind of hammer to smack down the Vaporflies.

"That's... quite painful..." Lulu spoke in sympathy.

"Talk about brutal," Zambai stated.

' ** _That's more painful than my training,_** ' Yokozuna croaked.

"What the hell is that idiot doing to her?!" Chirithy questioned.

"I'm glad I'm not in her shoes..." Guthrie said, rubbing his head at the sight of the unintended headbutts.

"I don't know what footwear has to do with this, but yikes..." Allen said, flinching with each hit Xion was taking.

After a number of tosses and headbutts, and brain cells undoubtedly loss, Xion's Pegaslick, finally done with the Vaporflies it was fighting, swooped down and saved its wielder from the possibly never ending fate. As soon as it got her on its back, it let out a light glow via Regen, helping Xion recover her strength and heal.

"Ow... Thank you, Pegasus..." she thanked, feeling some freedom from her waist as Luffy unwrapped his arm around her.

"Oh! Good timing, horse!" Luffy exclaimed, flying close to the pair. "Okay! Now we can counterattack!"

Instead of agreeing with the guy, and for a good reason at that, Xion whacked her Keyblade on the guy's head, hard. "You dumbass! Why the hell did you throw me at those Heartless?! I could've died a number of ways because of you!"

"What are you talking about? I was trying to get you on one of those guys like how I'm on this thing."

That one stupid, very misleading reason earned him another whack to the head. "How about you do it in a way that doesn't involve getting me killed, goddammit! At least be considerate of how I feel in that situation!"

"Huh? But you were having fun, weren't you?" Luffy asked.

For such an idiotic question... Xion felt her rage grow, as a dark aura appeared around her, her bangs shadowing her eyes. "I will thoroughly kill you," she said, her eyes glowing dangerously red and her voice quite demonic.

Luffy flinched and cowered at the glare, quickly flying his Vaporfly away and towards the Raging Vulture.

"Get back here, you stupid rubberman!" Xion shouted, nudging Pegasus to pursue her captain.

As they flew, some more Vaporflies appeared and shot themselves towards Luffy, who managed to control his Vaporfly to aerial dodge them, thus having them deal with his vice captain.

"Out of the way! **Triple Firaga!** " She fired a trio of large fireballs at the group of Heartless, burning them all to crisp. More came and fired more of their energy shots and torpedoes at her. "That's really getting old. How about this? **Aeroga**!" Pointing Fire of Shandora at the swarm, she called upon a powerful gust of wind, strong enough to blow them all away. "Okay. Now go!" At her command, Pegasus continued its pursuit.

With Luffy, he finally caught up with Raging Vulture and got on its back again. Like before, the vulture Heartless sensed the boy behind it and turned its head to face him.

"Okay, you bird bastard! Here I go! **Gomu Gomu no Stamp Gatling!** " Luffy delivered a barrage of kicks like before, knocking the big Heartless senseless. In the midst of the kicks, he raised up one of the legs. " **Gomu Gomu no Ono!** " He brought the leg down in an axe kick and stuck it in the beak, leaving yet another dent on it. The Raging Vulture retaliated by breathing out more fire at Luffy. As he couldn't block that like Xion could, all he could do was let go before the flames hit.

"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath, looking around for another Vaporfly to ride on. It was then, though, he felt something grab him by the helm of his shirt. Looking up, it turns out Xion caught him.

"Pegasus, take us to that Heartless, stat!" At the Keyblade wielder's order, the Pegaslick continued on to the leader of the Heartless group.

"Oh, Xion! Thanks for the save!" he thanked.

"Luffy," Xion called, in a tone that sent chills in her captain's body. "I've an idea on how to stop that Heartless from breathing out its flames. You're playing a vital role in that. You know what that means?"

Luffy didn't know what 'vital' meant, but he knew for sure he wasn't going to like whatever plan she had.

Back with the Raging Vulture, with its Vaporfly minions distracting those protecting Rocketman, it prepared its cannons for another powerful attack.

Chopper, who knocked one of the Vaporflies away in his Heavy Point form, noticed the big Heartless preparing its attack. "Hey! Look out!" he shouted.

Upon his warning, the rest of the fighters looked up and were terrified at the sight of Raging Vulture's cannons lighting up.

"I can't stop that!" Guthrie said, regretting not having a medal that would allow him to block what was coming, or launch an attack that could reach the Heartless.

"How about an Impact Dial?!" Nami suggested.

"I don't think that counts as impact!" Allen denied.

Just as the Heartless was about to fire, a powerful blast struck its back, cancelling the energy in the cannons. It looked behind and saw Pegasus speeding towards it.

"Okay, Luffy. You got the plan, right?" Xion asked, standing on top of her Dream Eater. Luffy was about to respond, when the girl leapt off the Pegaslick. "Okay, Heartless! Take this!" She tossed Luffy right at the Raging Vulture, specifically the head.

The Heartless turned to the pair of pirates once more and prepared to unleash more flames when... " **Gomu Gomu no Snap Trap!** " Luffy wrapped his arms and legs around its beak, keeping it shut and preventing it from breaking out any more fire. "Xion, now!"

"In a heavy rain like this... Let's see you survive this! **Thunder Surge!** " Cloaking herself in electricity, Xion rushed right into the Raging Vulture. Due to the rain, the attack was stronger than usual, as the Heartless let out a muffled screech in pain. "Not yet! **Thunder Blast!** " She followed it up with a lightning spin attack. " **Thunder Slam!** " Followed by an electrifying smack to the head. "And **Thundaga!** " With a backflip off the Heartless, Xion finished off the combo by summoning a powerful wave of lightning bolts from the sky, which struck the Raging Vulture head on.

Pegasus caught its Keyblade wielder again. Xion righted herself on its back and jumped off it once more. "One more HIT!" She struck the Heartless right on the emblem on its chest. The final strike caused it to glow pink and implode. A crystalized heart emerged from its body before disappearing, as did the Heartless itself.

Landing on the Pegaslick once more, Xion let out a sigh in relief. "Glad that was dealt with."

As she said this, Luffy grabbed onto Pegasus's leg and got on its back. "Yes! We got it down!" he cheered. In response, however, Xion knocked the boy off her Dream Eater, to his surprise, and grabbed him by the leg.

Pegasus flew back to Rocketman, where Xion and Luffy's friends stood waiting for their return.

"All right! You both did it!" Zambai cheered.

"You beat the monster- waina!" Kiwi and Mozu exclaimed in joy.

As soon as her Dream Eater planted its hooves on the cart, Xion slammed her captain down, leaving him sprawled on the roof.

Luffy somewhat recovered from the slam and got back up to face his vice captain. "What was that for, Xion?!" he asked.

"What do you mean 'what was that for'?! That was for slamming me into those Heartless and nearly getting me killed, you rubber dumbass!" she retorted and answered.

"Like I said, I was trying to get you to ride on one of those like I was!" he reasoned.

"I don't care what your reason is! You do not just throw people into monsters that could potentially kill them! Heartless, especially! Don't go thinking anyone could have the same mental wavelength as you!"

"But you're my vice captain! You should know what I'm thinking!"

"That is not how that works!"

As the pair bickered on Luffy's lack of care for what he does with people, everyone else just stared at them.

"Oh yeah, he did do that to her," Paulie recalled.

"No one is ever going to be okay from that," Lulu stated.

Guthrie, meanwhile, was staring more at Xion. Rather, the way she was acting. ' _Looks like that darkness in her doesn't grow from Luffy's antics,_ ' he thought in relief. ' _I don't want to imagine what would happen if it does appear at a time like this._ '

"Kokoro-san! I see a suitable current! 8 o'clock!" Nami informed.

"Okay! We've fallen quite behind, haven't we? Time to make up for the lost time!" Kokoro said, steering Rocketman to the current the Straw Hat navigator spoke of.


End file.
